Coming Home
by Revenge of the Red Pen
Summary: 'Wow, you don't really remember who I am or who you are' Three years is a long time to be missing so what would happen if Sora didn't return but ended up in some alternate reality where he has no recollection of his friends or his past? Please R&R.
1. Esrevart

Looks like I forgot to add this part before I published the first chapter (my bad)…Here is the first chapter of my first fanfic. Hope you guys enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: **Though I wish, I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts (that would be cool). Nor do I own Frogger (although it is a very amusing game…).

Vander is my own character I have created for this story.

Chapter 1: Esrévart

* * *

><p>'<em>Sora!'<em>

'_Sora!'_

'Ahh….! What was that?

_I sat up in my bed. I could hear thunder outside. 'Whew; just another nightmare' I told myself. This was the second one this week. After some weird fight with a hooded figure, I would find myself plummeting into the sea, those voices calling me as I was falling. I would always wake up just before hitting the water. It was so strange…_

It seemed like forever until my eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounded me. Looking out the window, the rain looked like a clear blanket as it fell. It looked like the power went out. I stumbled through my room as I tried to find a flashlight. 'Ouch! Stupid bed!' I always seemed to hit my shin on the corner post and the lack of lighting wasn't helping me at all.

'Found it!' I turned the flashlight on and began making my way to the fuse box in the cellar. Trying to find my way down the flight of stairs was bad enough in the dark; finding my way through narrow _and_ steep stairs was worse. 'They should fire whoever built this house' I muttered to myself as I began the descent into the cellar. Of course, as luck would have it, the power came back on just as I made it to the bottom. 'Seriously? Of course the power decides to come back on when I do all the work to reach it!' Not even bothering to set the clocks, I made the trek back to my bedroom and went back to sleep…

…BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!

…BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! I groaned as I tried to find the source of the noise. My hand eventually found the cell phone buzzing on the night stand next to me. 'Hello?'I answered more dead than tired.

'Hey Sora! You planning on coming in to class today?' the voice on the phone said.

'What are you talking about?' (I think I said that a little more annoyed than I meant)

'As your friend, I thought it would be nice if I let you know that you were going to be late for class.'

'Stop messing with me' I said as I looked at my watch. It was 7 and class started in 15 minutes. 'Oh crap! Thanks for the call; I'm gonna be so late! I'll see you soon dude!

'Alright; hurry up!' I closed the phone as I rushed to leave and get ready for school. 'No time for a shower' I thought to myself, as I brushed my teeth, and got dressed. I grabbed my bag and skateboard as I ran out the door. The nice thing about my school was that it was only a few blocks from the apartment I lived in. The bad news was that it seemed like I had to play a game of Frogger as I made my way through all the intersections. Why did the school have to be in the busiest part of the city?

I guess now would be a good time to tell you guys a bit about myself. I mean, who wouldn't want to tell others about themselves when they are playing human Frogger across several dangerous intersections?

As you might have guessed, my name is Sora (duh) a 17 year old, who lives in Esrévart, a city with an awesome view of the ocean. I am a senior in high school and love skateboarding, Chinese food and swords. I know, seems like an odd combination, but that's what makes up Sora. The swords that I like however are not your ordinary ones; sure you have broad and longswords, katanas, scimitars and sabres, but those just seem so boring. The swords I envision aren't sold anywhere and not made in any shop; they are made and come to life on paper. The first one I drew was inspired by a nightmare similar to the one I had awoken from this morning…

…_There were these black funny looking creatures with yellow eyes that were coming at me from all sides. I ran and ran, but they seemed to keep finding me. What's worse, every time one attacked, I felt it at that spot. The pain emanating from my wounds seemed real enough and so were my screams. Eventually with nothing to defend myself, I was backed into a corner and found myself looking at a sea of black and yellow. Looking back, I know it was a dream but I couldn't wake up for some reason. Anyway, like I said, it seemed like I was staring death in the face and just as they began to lunge at me, I closed my eyes and covered my face preparing for the worst._

_When I opened them up again, a small black cloud was dispersing. I looked down to see the cloud emanating from one of the creatures as it writhed in pain. Wondering how this happened, I looked in my hand to see a weird looking object that looked like some type of sword. The handle was yellow with a chain hanging from it; the blade was rounded but seemed like it was polished and sharpened to a point. What really caught my eye was the tip of the blade. Instead of a normal looking tip, the tip looked like a key with the teeth looking like they were molded from the top of a crown. I could have kept admiring that sword, but there was still that sea of black and yellow staring at me. With this new weapon, I picked myself up and charged the mass…_

Thus began my fascination with those swords. Since then I have drawn several variations of that sword: one with a dragon head, another with a wing tip, and even one that looked like a magic staff with a star and a crescent moon enclosed around it. My favorite however, has got to be the one that has angel wings as the handle; two blades come from the handle with one ending in a heart-shaped pattern while the other ends in a 5 point star. Hanging from the end of the handle is a chain with a star at the end. It looks so cool; too bad it wasn't real.

I guess that's Sora in a nutshell.

I made it safely to the school; had I been paying attention I might have noticed that it was quieter than usual or the fact that there was a lack of cars in the front parking lot of the school. I was so focused on getting to class that as I ran up the steps to the front door I almost tripped and fell flat on my face. I'm sure that would be something interesting to explain to my friends later. I pulled the door and found that it was locked; then it dawned on me:

VANDER!

* * *

><p>Hope you guys enjoyed it. I know it's a bit slow, but I didn't want to put too much in the first section. Please comment on any improvements, suggestions, etc…Like I said before, this is my first fanfic and I am open to all.<p>

Thanks all

-RoRP


	2. Sea Salt Ice Cream

Hi everyone! I don't know what a good update schedule is, but it looks like I might do one every week or two. If anyone has any suggestions on this let me know.

Thanks to **El Ski** for reviewing and **Redeeming Endeavor** for your suggestions. Thanks to anyone else who might have read this and either favorited/alerted this story. Please let me know if I forgot you.

**DISCLAIMER: **Though I wish, I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts (that would be cool).

(Text in between **, is a memory.)

Chapter 2: Sea Salt Ice Cream

* * *

><p>'It looks like someone forgot today was a day off from school.'<p>

'Yea, yea; thanks for the warning jerk. I could have slept in some more. You're lucky I was in a good mood today' I said half-heartedly. Vander and I were in the Esrévart Skate Park. The park was a boarder's dream come true. The city had just finished constructing it last year and they put in pipes, rails and ramps everywhere. The entire complex was huge! One of the best things about this park was the middle railing that hung over the half pipes below. The feeling of grinding over those rails while other boarders were riding the pipes below was exhilarating. It was only for experienced boarders; lucky for us, we were both pretty experienced.

'You sleep too much Sora and besides, you need to get out more. Also, what do you mean in a _good mood_? You're always in a good mood. Sometimes you being happy all the time makes me sick.'

'You're just jealous Vander. I'm more carefree than you. You've got to learn to enjoy life' I said with another one of my signature grins; the girls loved it. 'Since we're already here, why don't we enjoy the park? I bet I can finally nail that 180 kick flip.' Vander was the only other person I knew who liked skateboarding as much as I did. He was a senior as well and my best friend since I arrived in Esrévart. He was the one who had saved me that night…

_I was falling and falling fast; my body hit something hard. Lightning sizzled and cracked around me and the voice of thunder bellowed everywhere. The rain fell like small spikes against my bruised and battered body. I tried to get up and found my body not responding; I tried over and over to will myself up and yet nothing happened. So I laid there on the ground waiting for death to overtake me as I slipped into unconsciousness._

_I woke up to the sun beating down on my head, already splitting from a massive headache. I winced and yelled in pain when I tried to sit up. My torso was wrapped in bandages and a good portion of my head was wrapped as well._

_Apparently, somebody heard me yell as footsteps sounded in the stairs. Upon entering my room I was greeted by a young kid and an older man. The kid had curly auburn hair with eyes as green as emeralds. He was stocky and probably a bit taller than me; if I had to guess, he was probably the same age as me. The older man standing next to him reminded me of a wise old teacher. His white hair was balding in the middle with little strands jutting out here and there. He walked with a slight gimp but still carried himself with dignity as though saying he wasn't going to let his age dominate him. Though surrounded by his old and wrinkly face, his gentle eyes portrayed a deep sense of wisdom that conveyed life's lessons through hardships, failures and success._

_'Hello son; my name is Mr. Shozenjinku and the boy next to me is Vander. How are you feeling?'_

_I hesitated before answering, 'Better than yesterday, although my body aches all over.' I looked a bit anxious as I stared at the two people in front of me._

_'There's nothing to worry about son.' The older man said, as though he had sensed my worry. 'We're not here to hurt you. In fact, it was Vander here who found you on the sidewalk and brought you to my place; you were pretty banged up.' Banged up seemed like a bit of an over-simplification; I felt like I had been crushed, beaten and thrown aside like a rag doll._

_'I was on my way home, when I saw you on the ground' the kid named Vander said. 'I had forgotten my umbrella so I was rushing home when I caught a slight movement out of the corner of my eye. It was dark and with no street lamps, the only light provided was from the lightning piercing the sky above. With the dumpster and trash bags lying on the ground, I thought an animal was rummaging through the garbage for a meal. If I didn't see the shoe concealed behind the dumpster, I would have kept walking. Upon further inspection, I realized that the shoe was connected to a body, your body, and wasn't moving. I would have thought you were dead had I not noticed the slight rise and fall of the body as you struggled to breath. The closest hospital is too far away, so I brought you here to Mr. Shozenjinku hoping that he could help fix you up. By the looks of everything, it looks like it worked. You're lucky too; with all the noise from the storm, it was a miracle I even found you.'_

_'That's true Vander, it was a miracle' Mr. Shozenjinku said. 'That storm last week was the worst…'_

_'Hold on' I stopped him mid-sentence. 'Did you just say last week? How long have I been out? It only felt like a day.'_

_'Son, you've been out for 5 days. I thought I was going to have to call the ambulance when you hadn't woken up this morning. Of course, that was at 5 AM and even if you were healthy, I guess I still shouldn't have expected you to be up' he said with a hint of sarcasm. I chuckled to myself at his witty remark, but still couldn't bring myself to the fact that I had been out for so long._

_'5 days?' I said more to myself than them, although they both nodded. 'I can't believe I was out for that long. Anyway, thanks so much for fixing me and looking after me Vander and Mr. Shozan, Shozean, Shozenj…'_

_'Don't worry about it son. And call me Mr. Sho. It's much easier to pronounce' he said with a smile. He probably realized I was having difficulty with his name. 'Now, it's still going to take some time for you to fully heal, but in the meantime, I'll make you some hot herbal tea. Vander can watch over you for the time being. I own the small Chinese restaurant next to us, so I'll be there if you need anything. Vander, be careful with him and call me if something comes up.'_

_'Don't worry Mr. Sho! I'll take good care of him' Vander replied._

_'I know you will. Bring up the tea when it's ready' Mr. Sho said as he walked down the stairs. 'This whole time, I just realized something!' Mr. Sho exclaimed. 'We never got your name.' These two seemed trustworthy enough; after all, they did help me and probably saved my life._

_'Sora; my name is Sora.'_

_'Sora, hmmm? That's an interesting name. It means 'sky' Mr. Sho commented as he went back downstairs…_

'Hello? Earth to Sora!' I snapped backed to reality as I saw Vander waving his hands in my face trying to get my attention. 'Are you going to skate today or are you just going to stare into open space? What about nailing that 180 kick flip you said? Did you wuss out?'

He knew how to get me going. 'Don't kid yourself man; I'll skate circles around you! You're on!' I said as I grabbed my board and went down the ramp to meet him.

We were walking back home from the skate park when we had stopped for some ice cream. It was mid-afternoon and we were enjoying the light breeze that graced our faces as the sun shone high above. 'Uggh! You always get the same type of ice cream and it's not even a good one! Why do you like it so much?' Vander commented.

'Why does it bother you so much? I like sea-salt ice cream; it reminds me of palm trees on a beach with an awesome view of the ocean. Besides, you should blame yourself. You had dared me to try this and I've liked it ever since' I retorted back to him. I didn't know what it was, but there was just something about the saltiness mixed with the sweetness of the cream and sugar that just formed such a heavenly match in this delectable treat. 'You want some?' I asked even though I already knew the answer.

'Never' he said back. 'Ice cream should be sweet and nothing more' I laughed at his stubbornness. He didn't want to try something new; I mean, I was a bit nervous before trying to this ice cream, but I decided to do it anyway. New things are always an adventure.

The conversation lulled at that point; we were enjoying our ice cream and the day. I let my thoughts drift as I began to recollect the dream I had the night before. 'I had another one of the dreams last night' I finally said.

Vander didn't say anything so I just took it as a cue to keep going. 'I had finished fighting that same hooded figure again. I was using that weird key-looking sword I've described to you so many times before. When the battle was finished, I found myself falling to the sea. It was almost as if I was thrown from the sky and sent hurtling to water below. Those voices kept calling out to me, as if they were beckoning to me. I tried to reach out, but my voice wasn't heard. I know you probably think I'm weird and I'm sorry if I use you as my shrink, but you're the only one who seems to actually listen and try to understand, instead of thinking I'm just crazy. Mr. Sho tries to help, but sometimes what he deems as wisdom, sounds like mumbo jumbo to me.'

Vander still hadn't said anything when I finished talking. 'Well, aren't you going to say something?' I asked more out of frustration due to his silence than anything.

'If you gave me some time, maybe I could gather my thoughts' he said a bit annoyed. I apologized and he continued, 'You know Sora means sky, right?' I knew that already; both he and Mr. Sho constantly reminded me of that. 'What has Mr. Sho said to you that confuses you?'

'Among other things, the one thing he usually repeats is this: _Sora, sometimes dreams are revelations of a past life. We might forget or not remember who we are or where we come from, but dreams are sometimes a way of showing us the truth. Sometimes they reveal to us who we really are'_ quoting Mr. Sho as I told Vander.

'He might have a point. I mean, you couldn't remember where you came from and had no recollection of your past or family. Couple that with your dreams and the fact that I found you on the sidewalk with a necklace that doesn't seem to be from around here, I say you should consider Mr. Sho's words' Vander told me.

My hand immediately went to the chain hanging around my neck. It was the only thing that I had with me when Vander found me. 'I guess you're right. I just wouldn't know where to start.'

'That's a question only you can answer Sora. You have to make that first step and once you do, I know you'll find the answers you're looking for.' Vander's advice seemed good and it was usually a good thing to consider what he always said to me. 'Can we head home now? It's getting a late.'

With that, we both left and began the walk home. The apartment 'loaned' to me by Mr. Sho, was on the way to Vander's so he never had to go out of his way when we walked home. 'You have to work tomorrow?' Vander asked me.

'No, Mr. Sho gave me the day off. I had worked some extra hours a couple of days ago and he said I could take tomorrow off as a reward.' Working for Mr. Sho was great. I worked a couple of days during the week during the school year and most of the week during the summer. Even though a portion of my pay went to the apartment rent, it was still enough for me to enjoy nights out with friends, plus I began saving up for college. Mr. Sho even gave me nights off especially when I was bogged down with homework or had stayed up late the previous night studying for exams. He was a really nice guy.

'Cool, let's find something to do' Vander said. 'I don't want to waste my weekend sitting on my couch watching TV.'

'I'll call you' I said to Vander as we came up the apartment. 'See you tomorrow!'

'Later!' he said as he waved goodbye. I approached the door and pulled out my keys to open the door. I never got mail, so when I found a letter wedged in between the door, I found it odd. I dropped my skateboard on the floor and sat at a table as I opened the envelope. My eyes widened as I read, 'The answers to your questions will be revealed soon. Meet me at the Blue Hills Café tomorrow at 2PM…'

So there's chapter 2 you guys. Hope you enjoyed. I made this longer with the hopes of putting a bit more depth into the characters. I wanted Mr. Sho to be like the wise old teacher like the one from the Karate Kid. I think I'm going to keep the chapters between this length and the length of the first chapter (probably 1000 – 2000 words). The adventure will start in the next chapter (since this is an adventure story, lol).

Like I said, this is my first fanfic so let me know what should be changed, improved or even removed. Also, I would like to know where you guys think this story is going. It would be interesting to know your opinion.

I noticed that no one commented on the town where this takes place. I wonder if anyone picked up on it…

Thanks all

-RRP


	3. Bringing Him Back

Hey all; sorry for the delay in updating. I guess I need to stop trying to prevent the zombie apocalypse in Left 4 Dead 2 (go Ellis! lol). It seems like everybody else's stories have been updated so I guess it's my turn. Anyway, thanks to all who've read the previous chapters (No one has still commented on the name of the city where this story takes place…).

**DISCLAIMER: **Though I wish, I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts (that would be cool).

Chapter 3: Bringing Him Back

* * *

><p>…<em>The previous day in a dark room…<em>

Several people sat gathered around a table. One had medium-brown unruly hair; his gunblade Lion Heart leaned against his chair propped against a wall. Another man had blond spiky hair with blue eyes, his buster sword at his side. He sat next to a shorter kid with blond spiky hair as well. Others around the table included a mouse, a duck and a rather 'goofy' dog-looking creature.

The mouse spoke up with a somewhat high-pitched voice, 'How are the defenses holding up?'

'Just barely your majesty. The enemy outnumbers us 3 to 1 and our forces are slowly being driven back. The east wall has not been breached yet, but it's only a matter of time,' the man with the gunblade said.

'Thanks for the update Leon' the mouse said.

'You're welcome King Mickey. How's it going with your men Cloud?'

'We're holding up, but just like you, it's only a matter of time before they breach the west wall. Our weapons seem to be ineffective; we've pelted them with bullets and cut them to ribbons with our various swords, but nothing seems to be getting through. They keep cropping up like a disease among plants. Even with Riku and his Way to the Dawn, he's just one person; against an army, this doesn't help us. Am I right Riku?' Cloud finished reporting.

A silver-haired guy walked from the corner he was standing in, a blindfold over his eyes and his black coat swaying as he walked. 'I can only do so much. I may be able to kill the creatures, but I can't seal them away like _he_ did. I miss him and we all miss him, but we need him; we need the Keyblade bearer.'

The others nodded their heads in unison. The shorter kid spoke up, 'Even though he is my better other, and I have some of his skill with a Keyblade, I still can't seal the enemy away; that was his right.'

'You're right Roxas; his power was greater than both of ours. This is why the Keyblade chose him. He might not have realized that, but we depended on him. He was our strength and _hers_.'

They all knew who else Riku meant when he said 'her.' A certain brunette was more distraught by the fact that her best friend was somewhere lost. Other women Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie and Namine, were there for her but she was still broken-hearted. They might have been her close friends who she could talk to at a moment's notice, but there was still a void that was left. She felt incomplete without him. He had always promised he would come back and find her, but this time was different. Sure, she had Riku, but it wasn't the same. Three years had gone by and no word from him, not even a sign; was he even alive? Did he forget about her?

'I'm going to try one more time to find him. I know it's dangerous, but we need to find him. For Kairi's sake and our sakes, we need him. With the power he wields, he can end this war. We thought it was over with Xemnas, but another evil seems to have cropped up in his place. We must find Sora!'

Everyone agreed and gave him their blessings. Riku left and headed to a Gummi ship. 'I don't know where you are Sora, but I'm going to find you' Riku thought to himself as he walked to the hangar. 'I hope you haven't lost your memories again. That would suck; you're such a dope. You don't even know how much Kairi misses you. She needs you; _we _need you. I guess I could always knock some sense into you.' Little did he know how much those words would prove true…

* * *

><p>I shielded my eyes as I felt the rays of the sun beat down on my face. It was early morning and even though it was the weekend, my body wouldn't let me get anymore sleep. 'I wish I could sleep somemore; too many early weekends for me and now my body won't even let me sleep in' I complained to no one in particular. 'I wonder what Vander and I could do today' as I sat up in my bed. I forgot about the note from yesterday until a breeze from my open window sent it like a feather to the floor.<p>

'I guess I wasn't dreaming yesterday. This note _is_ real' I pinched myself just to make sure. 'That hurt, so I'm definitely not dreaming' as I rubbed my arm. I heard movement downstairs and I knew that Mr. Sho was getting some supplies from the pantry to prep the restaurant for opening. I wondered if Mr. Sho had noticed it yesterday. He usually stopped by the apartment to check on me and occasionally when he needed some items; besides it was his apartment anyway – I was just renting the room upstairs. 'Mr. Sho! Can you wait; I need to talk to you about something' I called to him downstairs.

'Sure son, I'll wait for you to get ready. I'll even make some breakfast' he said. He always called me son ever since he and Vander found me that night. He had lost his own son in a car accident several years before and I guess when I came into the picture, he was able to move on with his life. Vander even commented that he seemed happier and more amiable to everyone he met. His customers also commented that the quality of the restaurant improved since I came along. Holes and chipped paint were mended and fixed; furniture was replaced and the food was tastier than ever. Who knew that a stranger could have such an impact on one person?

After dressing I ran downstairs to the smell of fried noodles and shredded pork (and yes I did shower and brush my teeth – I just didn't want to bother you with the details). I didn't get to enjoy this breakfast often since I usually had a bowl of cereal or some scrambled eggs before rushing off to school. However, whenever Mr. Sho had time to make breakfast I would always request this and after some time, it just became a routine; it was my favorite.

I sat down at the table and Mr. Sho took the seat across from me. 'So what did you want to talk to me about Sora?' I was already stuffing my face when I looked up to him laughing at me. Realizing he was laughing at the state I was in, I wiped my mouth, drank some water to clear my throat (and mouth) and began.

'I remember the night you guys found me; how you mended my wounds and took me in like I was family. You gave me food and a place to live and even let me work in your shop so I could begin saving up for college. Vander has been like a brother to me and you like a father. You two are like the family I never had or in this case, don't know if I had.' He just nodded and smiled as I continued. 'You also know that I've always wondered who I was or where I came from. You even told me that my name meant sky and like it; I could be calm and quiet, but dangerous and serious when needed. It's funny how I used to think I came from the sky when you told me that.'

'Yes, I do remember all of that Sora' Mr. Sho said. 'I also told you to make sure you always protected your friends as they are the bonds that make life worth living and that without these bonds, life could be very lonely. When one is lonely, dark thoughts cloud his mind; he begins to turn to evil things and eventually begins the walk down a path that will lead to his destruction.'

I nodded and then chuckled to myself as I remembered all the times I had gotten into fights protecting Vander or myself because we were picked on. 'When people used to call me 'nobody' and say that there was no one who cared for me and that you just took pity on some homeless kid, it really hurt. I thought they were heartless and began harboring grudges against them until you told me to let go of the anger and pain. It took some time, but I eventually came to realize that I was _not_ a 'nobody' and that there was somebody else who was looking for me; someone who missed me and cared for me.'

Mr. Sho seemed to be thinking about something, so I continued, 'My past is very cloudy to say the least and I found something yesterday that has given me hope.' I was waiting for him to say something but he just kept looking at me. 'I want you to read this and let me know what you think.' I gave him the note from the previous night and waited patiently as he read it.

He finally spoke a couple of minutes after reading the note, 'Past memories, friends and adventures are never truly forgotten. We may _think_ we forgot, but they are locked away in our minds waiting for the…how shall I say it?...Waiting for the right 'key' to unlock them and make us aware once again. You coming into my life unlocked the precious memories I had of my son, of the many times we would go fishing or the times when we would stay up and watch the stars at night. I thought I had forgotten them, but you were the key to unlocking my memories. I know you must be excited and weary about this note. Had it been someone else I would have told them to ignore the message, but you are a special person Sora. I've always known it. I see no harm in meeting this person, I only caution you on one thing: sometimes that path to remembering who you were and who you are is dangerous. There are times when others will help you and times when others will try to harm or kill you for fear of the results of your remembrance. Be very careful and know who to trust.'

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders when he had finished speaking. Those were the very words I needed to hear. I gave him a hug which he affectionately returned. When we broke away, I found a rare teardrop fall from his eye. I didn't say anything as I gave him another hug.

'You will always be like a son to me Sora' he said.

'I know; thank you Mr. Sho.'

* * *

><p>It was almost 2 as I rushed to the Blue Hills Café. I had just left Vander's house after talking to him about the note. I told him that depending on the information I was given, I would probably forge a path to figure my past. He was hesitant at first, concerned that I was going to talk to some random person, but after letting him know that I wouldn't do anything rash, he eventually relented and even encouraged me saying that I could come to him if I needed any help. He was a very good friend.<p>

I arrived at the Café with a minute to spare; nothing like last minute, right? I found an empty table and waited. A server came over and I ordered a strawberry shake. Thoughts were flooding my mind: who was this person? Did they really have answers to my questions? The most prominent question had to do with the warning Mr. Sho had given me: Should I even trust this person? I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and I could sift through any information later.

"_Later"…_

I was a patient person when I needed to be, but really? How long was this person going to make me wait? I had longed since finished the shake and every now and then a server would come and ask me if I needed anything else. I would politely decline although I did eventually ask for some water. The water finally caught up to me and nature called. After relieving myself, I looked at the clock and notice it was 7:30. 'This is ridiculous!' I exclaimed. 'I think it's time for me to leave.' I walked to the counter to pay for my drinks but just before I left I noticed something on the table I was at. It was another note:

_Meet me in the skate park at 10. There your questions will be answered._

I wasn't sure if this person was stringing me along, but this was getting annoying. They don't show up for more than 5 hours and then leave another note expecting me to meet them at the park. I was going to ignore it, but then, when would I have another chance like this? After wrestling with the decision, I was going to give this person one more chance. If they didn't show up, I would just have to find the answers on my own.

* * *

><p>Several emotions flooded me as I began to think of the afternoon's events; anger, annoyance, sadness, depression, determination, the list could go on and on. 'I've got to clear my mind' I said to myself. I then decided that a cup of tea when I got home and before I left for the park would be just the right thing. Had I not been so distracted, I would have noticed that the door to my apartment was slightly ajar. It was only when I put the key in the keyhole did I notice this. I pushed the door open and called, 'Mr. Sho, you there? I think you left the door open' there was no answer and I assumed he might have been in the cellar downstairs. Opening the cellar door, I called down to him again; there was still no answer.<p>

As anxiety began to set in, something dawned on my mind: _why was the door ajar_? I cursed myself for being so careless and not even thinking about that. I also began to wonder where Mr. Sho was. Again I called for him, 'Mr. Sho! Are you here?' I heard a faint wheezing that sounded like air being let out of a tire. I tensed as I realized it was coming from upstairs. As I made my way to the steps, I noticed a splash of crimson on the bottom step. As I climbed, the splashes became more frequent until it seemed like it was flowing like a waterfall down the steps. I knew what it was, but my mind didn't want to accept the answer. Reaching the top, I noticed the trail continued into my room. I readied in case I had to defend myself. I inched closer and closer to my room, beads of sweat forming on my face. I peered around the opening and looked in horror at the sight that lay in front of me.

There in the middle of my room on the floor was Mr. Sho, laying face down in a pool of blood. I began to run towards him when I noticed a figure about to exit from my window. Whoever it was had a black robe with black shoes on. Since it was dark in the room (no lights on yet), the only features I could make out were the strands of silver hair protruding from the inside of the hood and a blindfold over their eyes. I was about to grab the person and beat the living daylights out of them but they were able to jump out the window and escape.

Ignoring them for the moment, I turned all my attention back to Mr. Sho. I turned the lights on and got a better look at him. He was as white as a sheet and as I turned him over, I saw the large gash over his entire torso. I began shaking him as I frantically called out his name, 'Mr. Sho! Come on Mr. Sho don't die on me. Get up!' Though I didn't know what else to do I kept calling out to him. After what seemed like an eternity, but only a few seconds, his eyes fluttered open and a very hoarse and wheezy breath came from his mouth.

'S, So, Sora. Is that you son?'

'I'm right here Mr. Sho. Everything is going to be alright.'

'Look son, I don't have much time' he said weakly. Tears began to stream down my face as I held his crumpled form. 'I've lived a blessed life and even though it seems like it's going to be cut short…' he began coughing up blood, '…I have no regrets.'

'Save your strength, don't tire yourself. I can go get help' I told him. But before I could even move, he grabbed my shoulder.

'No, it is too late for me now. For you however, it is not too late. The journey ahead of you will be very tough, fraught with many trials. Your biggest test will be of the darkness that we must all face; the darkness within ourselves. Promise me this Sora: _Do not_ let anger and revenge corrupt the light within you. There is already so much suffering in this world because of it. It will be difficult, but you must let go. Mourn and grieve for me now, but do not let it overwhelm you. Remember I love you and will always love you.'

The tears were falling like raindrops as I nodded and promised him, though I could feel the pull of anger tugging at my heart. 'I love you too Mr. Sho' I replied.

He chuckled a bit and even though he was dying, there was serenity on his face that I could not describe. 'You've always called me Mr. Sho. It would be nice if just this once you could…' Those were the last words he said and I knew at once what he wanted.

'You will always be in my heart. I love you so much. Goodbye dad.'

* * *

><p>When I woke up it was 9:50; I must have cried myself to sleep (I felt like a little kid). Mr. Sho was still on the floor, the color completely drained from his face. I couldn't leave him there, so I placed his body on the bed and covered it with a sheet. Not wanting it to sit there decaying like an animal on the side of the road, I set the body on fire. I remember that the kings of old where set on fire and I didn't have much to work with; I thought this was the best way I could send him off.<p>

Knowing this would draw attention I grabbed my jacket, skateboard and the note. Reaching into my pocket, I felt a sheet of paper wrapped around something. Taking the paper an object fell out; ignoring it for the moment I read the note:

_Sora, remember what I told you about your journey; be careful. I found this item on you that night. I've never seen anything like it, so I held onto it for you until a day when you were ready to begin searching for answers to your past. I'm sorry if this sounded selfish but you came to me at a difficult time in my life and the joy you brought me was indescribable. I promised I would give this to you earlier but it looks like that didn't happen. I hope you can forgive me._

_-Mr. Sho_

I picked up the object on the floor. It was a star with a reddish hue on the outside that slowly went yellow as it got towards the center. It looked a bit girly but since it was the last thing I got from Mr. Sho, I decided to hold onto it. Smelling the smoke coming from upstairs I ran out the door to meet the person at the park.

It was 10:10 when I got to the skate park. It was empty, but then what should I have expected that late at night? Wave after wave of emotions kept enveloping me with sadness and anger being the most prominent. My 'father' was just brutally killed and his murderer was still out there, I'm stupidly waiting here for a stranger to give me answers to the questions about my past and on top of that I set my apartment on fire (I chuckled a bit at myself for this if only at least to lighten my mood). 'Late as always, Sora' a voice said behind me.

Turning around I saw _him_. He had taken his hood off, but there was no mistaking that silver hair. He still had the blindfold on although I'm pretty sure he could see clearly. _This was the person who killed Mr. Sho and how did he know my name?_ I didn't care as I charged at him, 'YOU!' He seemed surprised when I yelled at him but he simply side-stepped me as I stumbled passed. I turned around to give him a quick hook with my right which he simply blocked and threw me aside.

'Dude, what is your glitch? Why are you attacking me?' he questioned as I tried to kick his legs out from under him. That question only made me angrier; why would he ask such a stupid question? I saw him leave the scene standing over Mr. Sho's body. Couple that with the fact that he ran away after I saw him - What other evidence did I need? He nimbly jumped back and I rushed him. He raised his left hand at me, 'Stop.' I was about 5 feet away from him when I found that I couldn't move. 'Always rushing into things, right Sora? You _really_ don't remember who I am? I thought after all this time you would be excited to see your _best friend.'_

'First of all who are you and how do you know my name? While you're thinking of an answer to that question why don't you also tell me why you killed Mr. Sho?' I asked him, pretty sure that I was foaming at the mouth. 'Also, why can't I move?'

'It's a spell called 'Stop'' the guy answered. 'I had to restrain you; you didn't even give me a chance to explain myself and tell you who I am and who _you_ are.'

My eyes briefly widened a bit after that last part, but then immediately narrowed, 'Why would I even give you a chance to explain yourself? You murderer! Mr. Sho was a good man. He cared for others and took those in who were less fortunate' I said, more referring to myself than anyone else. 'And how can you say that we're friends let alone _best_ friends? Friends don't go around killing their friend's parents. Friends are there to protect each other, friends are there to…forget this, I don't care; I will avenge Mr. Sho's death!' With all my might, I tensed my muscles and began to pull forward. The other guy began to back up a bit concerned that his little magic trick wasn't working like it was supposed to.

'_Your father?_' he said. 'Wow, dude you've been living in an illusion for these past three years.' This is _not_ your real home and that guy was _not_ your real father. I thought when I found you after all this time you would be overjoyed to see me. Apparently, that's not the case.' He continued to back away seeing the rage in my eyes and the fact that I was slowly overcoming his spell and moving towards him. 'I didn't want to do it this way, but you leave me no choice Sora.' Suddenly, what seemed like a black hole appeared behind me. 'I'll meet you on the other side, hopefully with your head clear and maybe some sense knocked into you' he said.

'Let me go!' I yelled at him, but it was too late. He landed a blow to the side of my head and I felt my body go limp as he pushed me into the darkness. He disappeared in a dark cloud and before I slipped into unconsciousness, I felt my body falling and I thought to myself, _this is just like my dream.._.

Unbeknownst to the both of us, a figure lurking in the shadows was watching the entire thing unfold. _So they've finally found him. No matter; my plan will not fail and soon I will bring order to this world and all other worlds…_

* * *

><p>Wow! This chapter was a lot longer than I thought, but then it has been a couple of weeks since I posted the second chapter. I figured you guys deserved something special so I put as much thought into this as possible. I hope you all like it. Looks like I'm going to have to pull myself away from Left 4 Dead 2 (lol).<p>

Just a note: I have updated the summary – hopefully more people will read and review. Again, thanks to all who have read, alerted and reviewed my story so far. **El Ski** and **Redeeming Endeavor** – thanks for your support.

So what will happen to Sora? And who was the mysterious figure? Should I stop playing Left 4 Dead 2? Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks all.

-RRP


	4. Not a Killer

Hey all! I apologize for the long delay. I should have had this chapter out much earlier than I did. I hope everyone can forgive me, lol.

Chapter 4: Not a Killer

* * *

><p>'Really? I've heard some interesting things, but to lose a person? On top of that an unconscious person? That's something new Riku.'<p>

'Hey, cut me some slack. At least _I_ found him, Yuffie' Riku said to the ninja, a bit annoyed.

'It doesn't matter that you found him, you still _lost_ him. How did that happen?' Yuffie had her arms crossed and shook her head while she scolded him. Riku felt like a little kid.

'Those portals are tricky' Riku said making an excuse for himself. 'Besides…'

'No! I don't want to hear your excuses, Riku. You've used those portals enough times to know them like the back of your hand' Yuffie quickly retorted. 'What went wrong _this_ time?' Riku, seeing no other way out of this quickly recounted his fight with Sora. He also emphasized that part about Sora almost breaking out of his Stop spell. 'Wow, it seems like he's gotten stronger. That kid never ceases to amaze me. What troubles me is the part about him losing his memory. Do you think it's something Namine could fix?'

'I'm not sure' Riku said somewhat worried. 'Last time we _all_ forgot our memories but that was due to Namine's influence. By putting Sora into a deep sleep, she was able to restore his memories thus restoring all of our memories.'

'This is bad; if Sora lost his memories, how is he going to be able to help us with our situation? We're already being slowly overwhelmed and I'm not sure how long we can hold it. Do we even know if he can wield his keyblade?' This worried Yuffie as it pained to see her friend like this, especially one whom they all depended on so much.

'He didn't pull it out during our little scuffle; he was just throwing punches although a couple of them almost hit me. Something bothers me though; the keyblade is a weapon of the heart. It's as strong as the user's heart and emotions. During the fight, he was _very_ emotional which means the keyblade should have been summoned. If Sora just lost his memories that would be a problem but something we could probably solve with time; he would still be a keyblade master and everything would be fine. In his emotional state, he should have been able to summon the keyblade and use it in our fight. You're right Yuffie, this _is_ distressing. We have to find Roxas. Did he finish his surveillance trip?'

'Hold on Riku' Yuffie said as she listened on her radio. 'Roxas, he's in the infirmary! Is he OK? Sure, we'll be there soon.' Yuffie began running towards the door.

'What's wrong Yuffie? What happened to Roxas and why is he in the infirmary?' Riku said as he began following Yuffie.

'He's got lacerations across his chest and some minor cuts on the rest of his body.'

'That's all?' Riku didn't want to sound insensitive, but he knew Roxas had sustained worse injuries before. Those other injuries landed him in the infirmary; there was no reason why he should be there now. 'What makes these injuries so serious that he had to be put in the infirmary?'

'It's not the severity of the wounds but how they were made that landed him there' Yuffie answered. 'The wounds were made by a keyblade…'

'Wait, how can that be?' Riku said alarmed. 'Roxas and I are the only ones who can wield a keyblade. Kairi can wield one too, but she wouldn't attack him. So in that case, who else does that leave?'

'That's what I'm afraid of. You won't like this, but the person described as the attacker had spiky brown hair and blue eyes. The same sapphire eyes as someone we know…' Yuffie shuddered at the thought of who she was insinuating.

Riku too shuddered at the same thought. There was no way he would do something like that even if he did lose his memories. He was not a killer, this couldn't have been him. 'No, it can't be. Not Sora…'

* * *

><p><em>A figure cloaked in a black robe approached the outskirts of a city…<em>

I wasn't sure where I was, but it definitely wasn't Esrévart. The city seemed larger for one thing and busier. People were walking and talking about, merchants stood on sidewalks selling their wares and you would occasionally hear the sound of children laughing as they played in the streets. There were no cars as it seemed that most people walked or took a trolley to their destinations.

'I've got to find some food and maybe some new clothes.' My head was still throbbing and I think I had bruised my ribs. As I tried to still my aching head, I began to slowly remember the previous night's events. 'Who was that guy and what did he mean that I was living in an illusion? How could he say that Mr. Sho wasn't my father and worst of all, how could he say he was my friend?' I decided to keep these thoughts in the back of my mind as I tried to find a way out of my current predicament.

Has anyone ever told you how hard it was to concentrate when you've got a massive headache, pain on your side and the feeling like you're going to vomit? I could try getting into the city but without any knowledge of the place or where I was for that matter, I didn't think I would get far. 'If I can find a pole, some wire and a hook of some sort, I could go fishing at the beach and probably find something to hold me for today.' A short term plan like this wouldn't hold me for long, but it would have to do for now, until I could come up with something better. Turning around I began walking back towards the beach. All of a sudden, things got blurry and I fell forward as I passed out.

* * *

><p><em>At the infirmary…<em>

Yuffie and Riku were standing outside of Roxas' room. The nurse had told them they would have to wait before they could see him. It had already been 3 hours and Riku was getting impatient.

'I'm going to ask if we can go see him; I'm tired of waiting.'

'Riku, you just asked five minutes ago. You need more patience' Yuffie told him. Riku wasn't one to be emotional, but she knew that he was worried for their friend, just as they were all worried for Sora. 'Riku, just give them a couple more minutes and then you can ask them again.'

No sooner had Yuffie spoken that a nurse came out of the room, a smile on her face. 'It looks like he has stabilized and is now ready for visitors. I don't need to tell you two that he is still weak so don't push him too hard. If he or you need anything, there is a button that you can use to call one of us to the room.' The nurse walked away and the two friends entered the room to see how their friend was doing.

His shirt had been removed and there were cloth bandages wrapped around his torso. Nasty welts covered his arms and bruises covered his legs. Another bandage was wrapped around his head and an IV came out of his left arm. The two looked at each other and then looked at him again; Yuffie tried to hold back the tears that threatened to break forth from her eyes. Riku felt anger well inside of him, but held it in check. He relaxed when he noticed how red his hands were from balling them into fists.

'How's it going dude?' Riku asked a semi-conscious Roxas. 'You look terrible.' He tried to joke around but it was hard to make light of things when his friend was in such a state.

'So does your face' Roxas chuckled back at him. He tried to make light of his injuries, but he knew they could see through his act. 'I saw him; I couldn't believe it was him…' he was interrupted by several hoarse coughs. 'I tried to talk to him, but he charged me and …' another wave of coughs hit him as he tried to continue talking.

Yuffie ran over to give him some water. 'Don't strain yourself; we can talk after you've rested.' She smiled at him as she walked over to Riku. 'We'll check on you later to see how you're doing.' With that, she grabbed Riku and walked outside his room shutting the door behind him. 'We saw the proof, but do you think it was _him_?'

'I don't want to believe it, but _still _…' Riku was getting disturbed by the evidence seen on Roxas' person. 'I've got an idea. What if we brought Namine in?' Riku's face lit like a light bulb after thinking of this.

'Wow, you really do have good ideas every now and then. Maybe she can get some information out of him. Plus she really cares about him, so this will be something good for them both. Nice idea Riku' Yuffie complimented him.

* * *

><p>I slowly opened my eyes trying to adjust them to the sudden change in light. Again I found myself in an unknown place; how do I get myself in these situations? When my eyes finally adjusted, I realized I was in a small room with a fan and a single window. A small stand next to the bed I was on had a small lamp with a glass of water. It seemed harmless enough and I was thirsty so I finished it off in a few gulps. The water seemed to help as my head felt a bit clearer than before; of course, that could have been also the sleep I must have gotten. 'So…how did I get here?' I half-expected Mr. Sho to walk through the door and reprimand me for whatever trouble I had gotten myself into. However, that only brought painful memories back and I quickly pushed them aside.<p>

Leaving the room, I entered a small living room. There were 2 sofas with a small coffee table next to each; another small table was situated in the center of the room with a simple carpet underneath it. I heard movement coming from what I assumed to be the kitchen, so I walked over in that direction.

'Hello?' I asked as I got to the kitchen area. The person, who I assumed was a man, had their back to me. Whatever he was cooking was very familiar though I couldn't figure out what it was. He was humming to himself while cooking and there was something about his voice that seemed familiar as well. This was bothering me so I said, 'Hi there, my name is Sora. Are you the one who brought me here? If so, I wanted to thank you for tending my wounds and giving me some place to stay. It's all so foreign here and I'm not sure where…' I was cut off as the man turned around to face me. He had a bright smile on his face and there was denying who he might be…

'Mr. Sho?...'

* * *

><p>Roxas was awake; he couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the look on <em>his<em> face. There was something off; there was no way that could have been Sora. They were all friends and even though he was his nobody, they had always considered each other like brothers. On top of that, with him being Sora's nobody, it was like he was attacking himself; very weird. A headache began forming when a knock came at the door. 'Who is it?' he asked. The person opened the door and poked their head in, 'Namine? I didn't know you would come.'

'After what happened to you, how could you think I wouldn't come,' she said with a slight hint of annoyance in her tone. 'You're one of the most reckless people I know; what happened?' she began to drill him with several questions. Roxas was feeling a bit uncomfortable and Namine, ashamed at herself upon seeing that quickly apologized. 'I'm sorry Roxas; how selfish of me. I didn't mean to snap at you like that; how are you feeling?'

He was a bit relieved that she had calmed down, 'Better than when I first got here.' He gave her a whimsical smile which caused her to blush slightly. It always made him feel better when she smiled. 'There's a chair over here if you want to sit down,' he told her.

'Thanks,' she replied as she walked over and sat down. They remained quiet for a couple of minutes before she spoke, 'When I heard the news that you were in the infirmary, I got scared. With all the heartless everywhere and battles everyone is fighting, I began to wonder if you would ever come back safely. Now this happens to you and I couldn't be there to protect you.' She stared at the floor and clenched here white dress in her hands. Tears threatened to breach her eyes but she told herself she wouldn't cry.

The whole time she was talking, she had not noticed that Roxas had sat himself up in the bed and moved closer to her. He knew she cared for him, but he didn't realize it was to this degree. He cared for her too and she was the reason he got through all his battles. When it looked like he wouldn't make it from another mission, all he had to do was think of her and her smile; those thoughts gave him strength to continue, to keep fighting.

'Namine, please don't be upset. Things like this happen. We may all be prepared and think we're ready for the next day, but things have a way of sneaking up on you and changing your plans. This was supposed to be a simple recon mission; if I had known something like this would happen, do you think I'd still go? Maybe, that's a bad example. I probably would have still gone, but don't you think I would have at least prepared myself? You can't predict everything that is going to happen. Remember when Sora and Riku defeated Xemnas and we thought we would just live within both Sora and Kairi. Who knew we would become real and be able to live normal lives like them?' Roxas tried to make her happy; he didn't like seeing her in this state.

He turned towards her to she was still staring at the floor. He could see the water glistening in her eyes as the tears began to work their way out. It was at that point that he wanted to tell her how he felt; how he always felt about her. It was the same way Sora had felt for Kairi and he was sure Kairi reciprocated those feelings. He grabbed her hand and that seemed to jolt her out of her despair. The tears now freely made their way done her face and he smiled at her. 'Namine I will always try to be careful, but I can't know what awaits me when I walk out on the field. The best I can do is make sure I'm prepared and make sure that those who I care most about, those who I love, know how I feel about them. Who knows, those steps out the door could be my last.'

Namine noticed how much he had matured over these years. He was no longer that lost kid who did not know who he was. He had become a strong man who would do anything to protect his friends, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. Most important, were those words he had just said. Was it true? Did he feel the same way she had felt about him? Realization dawned on her and from her tear-stained face she gave him a warm smile. Her heart pounded within her chest and the blood flowed to her face. She was fully aware that she was blushing but she didn't care. If this is how he felt then she knew what she would do. Roxas seemed like he was about to say something but she didn't give him a chance. In a fit of pure love, she crashed her lips into his to which he responded. It was a chaste kiss, but one that held all the meaning in the world. She gave him a hug and whispered to him, 'I love you Roxas; I've always loved you and I don't want to leave you. Promise me you'll be more careful.'

'I love you too, Namine. I will never leave you.' He held her in a firm embrace that told her that he would always be there to protect and comfort her. At this, Namine began crying again, and he just held her tighter. He would never let her go. _I'll always be there for you Namine, _he thought to himself. At this something else dawned on him; something more distressing and saddening. _If this is how Namine is feeling how much more does Kairi feel for Sora?_ He knew she missed him so much and felt empty without him. _What's more, how will she feel when she hears the news that it was him who attacked me?_

* * *

><p>Well at least Sora is OK, but what about this person who saved him? Is Mr. Sho back?<p>

Sorry if the scene between Roxas and Namine is a bit cheesy/corny…my first 'love' scene. How will Kairi feel when she hears the news? Find out in the next chapter.

Thank to all who reviewed and alerted this story. Again I apologize for this being released almost a month after the last chapter. I will try to have more regular updates. Speaking of which, I'm thinking about writing several chapters at once and then releasing them incrementally. Let me know what you guys think and if you have any other ideas.

You guys are awesome!

-RRP


	5. Memories

Hi everyone! I just wanted to apologize for making everyone wait so long for the next chapter. I've been getting ready for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary, but I should have this out sooner.

For forgiveness, I have already completed chapter 6 and am currently working on chapter 7, just like I said earlier. I believe these next two chapters are better than the previous ones and am hoping they keep getting better. I hope you all enjoy and here's chapter 5 of Coming Home.

Chapter 5: Memories

* * *

><p><em>Never let anger take over your heart…<em>

That's what Mr. Sho had told me once. Ever since he had found me that night, he had become both a father and mentor to me. I mean, who was I? A random kid found in an alley, unconscious and unaware of my past. This man took me in and treated me like a son, a total stranger! And then that dreadful night when my world came crashing down all around me. I don't cry often, but I did that night when I held his lifeless body in my hands. The dam that usually held my tears in check could not stand it any longer as it burst, allowing the salty droplets to fall freely from my eyes. Confusion, sorry and anger were among the many emotions threatening to consuming me. Now, that same person was standing in front of me, smiling at me.

'Kid, you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you ok?' He continued smiling as he asked me that question. When I did open my mouth to answer, nothing came out. I tried and tried, but I kept stuttering and stumbling over my words. Eventually, I found myself wrapping my arms around him in a warm embrace. He probably thought I was crazy or weird at the least.

'Mr. Sho!' I exclaimed. 'I have missed you so much! What happened? You died right in my arms! How are you still alive?' I wanted to keep asking more questions, but the look of confusion on his face, told me that I should hold them for the moment.

'Kid, calm down; first, I don't know who this Mr. Sho is, but I'm definitely not him. Second, it seems like you've been through some traumatic event. Why don't we talk about it? By the way, my name is…'

* * *

><p>A figure clad in her usual white dress and sandals closed the door to a patient's room in the hospital. The person inside had just fallen asleep and she did not want to wake him. As she turned around from closing the door, she was startled by two figures waiting for her outside the room. 'EEEP! Riku! Yuffie! What are you doing here?' she asked trying to regain her composure in the process. They both smiled at her and she titled her head inquisitively at them.<p>

'Congratulations, Namine' Yuffie said. 'It only took Roxas to be close to his death bed for you to admit your feelings for him. We were beginning to get worried and thought we might have to take some steps…' the ninja said, teasing the already blushing blonde.

'I…uhh…but…wait. How…were you guys listening?' she asked, her blush deepening all the more and her eyes widening ever so slightly.

'Don't worry,' Yuffie said 'we weren't listening. We actually just got here, but the look on your face was of pure joy and relief, so we kind of figured out what happened.

'Well, I will have you know that nothing happened inside of there.' Namine was getting a bit defensive, since she knew where this would lead if she didn't end this conversation soon. She began to slowly inch herself away from the two.

'I told you Riku; look how defensive she is starting to get. I knew something would happen' Yuffie proudly proclaimed. 'We ninjas, with our sharpened senses, notice little things like this.' Yuffie knew all she had to do now was get Namine to spill all the details of what occurred in the room.

'Ninja senses, huh? And the several times they snuck a glance at each other did not give that away? What about all those times when they would hold hands when they thought no one was looking?' Riku said to Yuffie sarcastically. 'You might need to fine tune those _ninja senses_ of yours if this is just dawning on you now. Most everyone else knew about this, it was just _when_ it was going to happen.'

'Yea and…but you…argghh! Riku, you can be so frustrating sometimes!' Yuffie exclaimed. 'That's it! I can't wait until you find someone special you fall for. You'll never hear the end of it from me!' Riku just rolled his eyes at her.

'Well, if and/or when that day comes, you'll be the last to know' he said. 'I can disappear in more ways than one and if I don't want you to find me, believe me, you won't.' Yuffie just stuck her tongue at him and turned away. 'By the way Namine, where do you think you're going?'

The girl froze in her spot and chuckled nervously, 'I was just going to go outside for some fresh air…' Namine sighed inwardly; only a couple more steps and she could've been free of both of them. Now it seemed like that possibility was dimming.

'Good idea. I think we could all use the fresh air, right Yuffie?'

'I guess so, as long as I'm not the only one stuck with you' she replied. 'Still though, at least we get to hang with Namine, WOOT!' The ninja threw her fists into the air and ran past Namine towards the exit.

'Energetic as always' Riku sighed as he shook his head. 'At least she's more focused on the battlefield. You coming Namine?'

'I guess I have no choice' she replied as she let Riku lead her out the hospital. 'Were you serious, by the way, when you were talking about us holding hands?'

'Yea, you guys aren't really that subtle. But don't worry about it; we're all happy for you. Now come on, we'll go for some ice cream, my treat, and you can tell me what Roxas told you inside.'

_I'm glad they're all happy for us. But what about Kairi?_

* * *

><p>A girl stood overlooking a balcony watching some doves flying through the sky. She smiled at the freedom they were clearly enjoying. With this admiration, she let her mind wander to days past when she enjoyed her own freedom; playing with friends on a beach they called their own. Not that she wasn't free right now, but she wished she could be out there on another adventure with her friends, who were not only protecting her, but also the entire kingdom.<p>

When they were on that beach, they always dreamt and talked about going on some grand adventure across the ocean; who knew what lay there across the horizon? A gentle breeze blew by, snapping her back to reality and causing some of her red hair to obscure her view. It was shorter back then and she never really had to fuss with it, except for the occasional out-of-place strand she would have to tuck behind her ears.

As she drifted back to those memories, the images of two boys came to mind. One of these boys had silver hair and blue-green eyes. He was slightly older than her and was usually the more mature one of their bunch. He was always joking around with them, but when things became serious, he became a protector and almost like a big brother to them. _Riku, you're always there for us, even though you almost lost yourself to the darkness_ she thought to herself. _I wonder how much this pains you now that he's not here. The both of you were always so close._

Him; the other boy. He was about the same age as her and had brown spiky hair with blue eyes. The big, goofy grin that he always sported seemed to always make her smile and laugh. That and his eyes; eyes that you could get lost in. Those were two features that she liked most about him. A single tear made its way down her face as she continued to remember how he and Riku would always compete with each other, even in the small things.

When they got separated on that first adventure, she thought she had lost them both. It pained her when he and Riku fought because of jealousy and anger that stirred within; this pain was filled however, when they reconciled to fend off the impending darkness. After this, there was joy but only for a brief time, as another adventure began. She promised herself she would not forget him, but memories began to fade. Eventually, these memories would return and she remembered again; she remembered her promise and set off to find them on her own. She found Riku or rather, Riku found her and together they both found him. With the three of them united once again, they prepared for what was supposed to be, the final battle.

Unfortunately, fate can be cruel and though the darkness had been vanished and they had triumphed, it was a bitter-sweet victory. Riku had returned, but _he_ had not; they searched everywhere for him and couldn't find him and after three years, there was still no sign of him. She had faith he would return, but others were convinced he was gone. The days that passed seemed to linger and she began to find that her faith was also starting to crumble. Did he forget his promise that he would come back for her? The tears freely fell from her face now, as she sank to her knees near the balcony rail. The setting sun seemed to sink with her as the only thought passed Kairi's mind:

_Sora, where are you?_

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile…<em>

'…Mr. Fang. My name is Mr. Fang. Who are you?'

My eyes went downcast as he said this; I was so sure he was Mr. Sho. His facial features, even his laugh was similar and yet it was not him. Sadness entered my being and I felt alone again. "Sora…my name is Sora." It was a half-hearted answer, but it was all I could manage. My thoughts instantly went to that night: lightning flashed around me and I was falling; only this time, the falling was real and my head hit the ground…hard.

My head was spinning and it took a bit for my eyes to focus. I was lying on something soft and familiar – the bed that I had woken up earlier in. Fang was smiling although I'm pretty sure that there was a look of concern before my eyes fully adjusted. Trying to sit up proved futile when I winced and grabbed my head falling back into the bed; I had a pretty bad headache mingled with sharp throbbing pain emanating from the back of my head.

'I'm sorry you fell, Sora. You caught me off guard and went down before I could catch you. There doesn't seem to be any bruising, but we should keep an eye on it in case it turns out to be a concussion.'

'Th…tha…thanks…for everything.' I tried talking, but all I could manage was stuttering as I was still hurting from the pain. _Why do I always end up hitting my head on things?_ I thought to myself. 'Why did you bring me here?'

He seemed somewhat confused at such an obvious question. There aren't that many people who'll check to see if a downed body is actually an unconscious person, let alone nurse them back to health. In my case, this would be the second time it happened and I thought it might be a good idea to see if his intentions were pure. I remember stories Mr. Sho had told me of people being rescued by so-called 'saviors' in these foreign lands only to get turned into the authorities or sold into some human trafficking market.

Fang seemed to notice the dilemma I was in. 'If you're worried about being hurt, you have nothing to fear from me, Sora. Besides, what kind of person just leaves someone out on the ground like that?' Of course, he could have been lying, but I didn't really have any options, so I decided to trust him…for the time being. He continued, 'What were you doing there anyway? You definitely don't look like you're from around here.'

More waves of déjà vu hit me as I notice how this situation and the one in Esrévart somewhat paralleled each other. The one thing I couldn't shake was the fact that this guy looked like Mr. Sho, but wasn't him. Was my mind playing tricks on me? I needed answers so I asked him the first thing that popped into my head, 'Where am I?'

He laughed and spoke up, 'Oh? This little place here is called Destiny Islands. It's not a very large world, but it has beautiful beaches, probably the most beautiful I've seen compared to other worlds.'

Did I just hear him correctly? Why was he referring to this place as a 'world' instead of a city or a town or even a state? 'Hold on for a second' I interrupted him. 'Why did you refer to this place as world? Don't you mean a city or even a state?'

Noticing my confusion, he smiled, 'Well, this definitely proves that you're not from around here. You look like you're in high school?' I nodded in agreement. 'What do they teach in those schools these days? Oh well, I guess I might as well start explaining…' He began to tell me how Destiny Islands is just one of many worlds and how each was connected by another 'central' world called Kingdom Hearts. He also mentioned that there were these things called keyholes that protected each world from the darkness. He stopped there with his explanation saying that it was just a brief description. He told me that I should stop by the local library if I want to learn more saying it might be a good idea. I nodded my head and asked if he could continue with his description of this world.

'I'll do something better' he said. After making sure I could get out of the bed (my headache had subsided for the moment), he brought me to a back door past the kitchen. Once outside he showed me the town in distance; it looked like a ten minute walk from his home. He pointed out the library that he mentioned earlier; it didn't look that big, but then I was pretty far from it. 'It might not be the largest city, but it does have its share of restaurants, shops and even a small mall. The school is in the middle of the city with a newly built skate park about a block away from it.'

_Skate park;_ I thought to myself. My thoughts went to Vander and those times we would spend in our own skate park in Esrévart. Things were difficult at first when he showed me how to ride a board. I was always falling on my face, butt or knees; overtime, however, I became quite good at it and we both had frequent competitions with each other. We even entered in some of the city's contest always placing in top positions. I think we both even took a trophy home from one of our victories. _I wonder how he's doing_? I thought to myself.

Fang's hand waving in front of my face brought me back to reality. 'Sora…Sora…you in there? You spaced out for a sec' he said.

'Oh…sorry; I was just thinking about some things' I replied.

'No worries, kid. I've been finding myself doing that more often than not lately. Looks like my mind is final starting to show some wear and tear. I guess I'm not the sharp-minded young buck I used to be' he sighed to himself to which I chuckled amusingly. 'You know you're welcome to stay for as long as you need Sora. Given your present situation, it doesn't look like you'll be going anywhere anytime soon.'

'I don't think so either' I replied. It might not have been Esrévart, but if Fang said I might be able to find some answers in the library, I was willing to stay here for the time being. It would definitely be better than outside braving the elements. That only left Fang; he seemed like a kind person and he _did_ bring me here so I could heal. From what I gathered from my surroundings, nothing shady seemed to be going on, so it felt safe for now. That didn't mean I would let down my guard, but I felt that I could trust Fang. 'If that's not a problem with you, I would greatly appreciate that' I told him.

Fang smiled and shook my hand, 'I'm more than glad to help others out. There's no problem here.' The uncanny similarities between him and Mr. Sho made it a bit more comfortable to accept his offer. 'Since you're going to be staying, why don't you tell me a bit about your past? I might not be a psychiatrist or psychologist, but I am a good listener. People say that they always feel better after talking to me, so I can at least offer you an open ear.'

We went inside and I grabbed a chair. 'As long as you're ready for a long story, I guess I can start from the beginning.' He put a kettle of tea on the stove and grabbed a chair and sat down across from me at the table. As I began my story, I remembered what that guy in the black hood said about me living in a fantasy world. _As long as there is someone who cares for me and I for them, I will always have a home. Friends that I can trust and who can trust me will be my strength._

* * *

><p>I hope you guys enjoyed this; let me know what you think. I'm probably going to release the next chapter at the end of this week and chapter 7 by the end of the following week.<p>

Leave lots of reviews!

RRP


	6. Sea and Sky

Hello again everyone! As promised, here is the sixth chapter of this story. I hope you all enjoyed the previous one.

Please review you guys! I would like to know how I'm doing especially if changes needed to be made. I only have a couple of reviews from the first two chapters and nothing else from then on. I want to know what the readers think!

Chapter 6: Sea & Sky

* * *

><p>Sea salt ice cream was probably the best tasting thing ever. Namine was thoroughly enjoying hers, wishing all the while that the euphoria from the dessert wouldn't end. It almost made her forget the day's earlier events when she was in Roxas' room.<p>

Eventually she finished it and although disappointed, she knew there was nothing that could be done about it. She and Riku were sitting on an embankment overlooking the sea watching the sunset, while Yuffie played around some nearby trees practicing her climbing skills. Sunrise and sunset were her two favorite times of the day although she enjoyed the sunsets more. For her, the transition from day to night felt more magical than night to day; the sun was the curtain call to the symphony of lights that would play in the night sky with the moon as the conductor.

_There was a legend about the sea and sky. In it, a young man fell in love with a beautiful woman but since their love was forbidden by their rival families, the only time they could meet was under the shadow of night. Though they knew it was dangerous for both of them if caught, they continued to meet for several months at the tallest cliff overlooking the ocean. Sometimes they would just stand there in each other's embrace, but most of the time, they would dance. War eventually broke out between the two families and it became more difficult for the lovers to meet. Over time, the man stopped coming and the woman, fearing the worst, fell into a state of complete sorrow. Night after night she waited for him until, after what seemed like an eternity, she lost all hope. Giving into her grief, she flung herself into the ocean. Unfortunately, the man was recovering from several injuries he incurred throughout the war, thus the reason for his absence. When he finally was fully healed, he too went to the cliff searching for his love. This occurred night after night but to no avail. He couldn't live without her and he eventually died on that cliff of a broken heart. It is said that he became the spirit of the sky and she, the spirit of the ocean; both so close to each other and yet so far away. The setting sun symbolizes his yearning to join his love, trying to reach her below. The stars in the sky whose light dances on the sea below, symbolizes the eternal dance between the two. When the moon is full and the waves of the sea are turbulent, it is said this is the woman trying to reach he whom she loved most…_

Namine had remembered this legend from an old book in the library. The sunset was both romantic and sad at the same time. Today however, it seemed a bit sadder as the sun seemed to linger between the sea and sky. It was as if the man was trying his best to reach his love, but was getting nowhere.

'It seems different today, doesn't it Namine?' Riku's voice slightly startled her; he too was staring at the sunset deep in thought. She had finished telling Yuffie and him the details of the conversation she had with Roxas in the hospital. Riku had been silent the entire time and she knew it hurt him deeply – to know that there was something wrong with your best friend was one thing; to not know what to do about it was something entirely different.

With the exception of Yuffie, Riku hadn't told anyone else about his finding of Sora. He made the ninja swear not to tell anyone else, but that still left him with one major problem: how was he going to break the news to Kairi? Sora had no recollection of any of his friends or his past and to make things better, he attacked Roxas and almost killed him. Sora might have been dense sometimes, but his friends were very important to him; he would never forget them or leave them unprotected let alone attack them. Riku wanted to believe this, but his own encounter with Sora and the evidence present all over Roxas' body as well as his story left little room for consideration.

Riku turned towards Namine, 'I need to talk to you about Sora. It's a delicate situation and you might be the right person to hear this. I've already told Yuffie so she's fully aware of everything.' Noticing that the ninja had just climbed down from one of the trees, he motioned for her to come over.

Yuffie ran over to the two of them. 'Have you decided to tell Kairi yet Riku?' the ninja asked him.

'Tell Kairi what?' Namine snapped. Riku was slightly taken aback by this and Yuffie raised an eyebrow at the blond. 'Oh…that Sora attacked Roxas almost killing him? That he's abusing his power as a keyblade wielder? What happened to him protecting others? What gives him the right to do something like that?' Her face was getting red from anger and tears began welling up in her eyes.

'Namine…you don't know…' Riku tried to speak up but was cut off by the now hysterical blond.

'NO! I don't want to hear it Riku!' She was openly weeping now. 'I almost lost him. I've always been embarrassed to tell Roxas how I felt about him. He almost dies and that's what it takes for me to finally tell him that I love him? I can't lose him Riku! I won't lose him!' Namine slumped to the ground.

Yuffie ran over to her to comfort her. She gave Riku an annoyed look and slapped him behind his head, 'That could have been better put you know.' She then turned towards the girl. 'Namine, I might not know exactly how you're feeling right now, but you might want to hear him out. This is important. See how you're feeling right now? How do you think Kairi is going to feel when she hears about this?'

Namine's eyes went wide at this realization. She knew she had every right to be upset, but the thought of how Kairi would feel was something that hadn't crossed her mind. She wiped her tears on her dress and turning to Riku, apologized for snapping and yelling at him.

'There's no need for apologies' he replied. 'Yuffie's right, I should have put this differently, which is why I need your help with what I'm going to tell you.' Namine nodded her head still trying to clear her tear-stained face. 'Roxas is not the first person to meet up with Sora…'

Namine looked at him confused and asked, 'What do you mean? Who else did he meet? Did he hurt someone else?'

'That's what Riku's been trying to tell you' Yuffie said. '_He_ was the one who found Sora in that other world and tried to bring him here.'

Namine turned towards Riku and noticed the look of pain on his face; she felt slightly guilty for her previous outburst. He and Sora were like brothers to each other and for Riku to be this worried and shaken up about the situation told her that something more serious was at the root of this problem. She asked him, 'What happened to you and more importantly, what happened with Sora?'

* * *

><p>Namine didn't know what to say; Riku had just finished recounting his encounter with Sora. Stunned and confused, all she could do was sit there while Riku and Yuffie both waited for a response from her. Time seemed to hang and the air grew quite in anticipation; even the crashing of the waves below deadened as the whole world waited for what the blonde girl would say.<p>

_This whole thing is so messed up_ she thought to herself. _Even if the story Riku just told me clarified some things about Sora, it still doesn't excuse or absolve him from what he did to Roxas. But still…why?_ That seemed to be the big question and not just for Namine; looking at her two friends she could tell the same question was on their minds as well.

'Now do you see what I meant when I said this was a delicate situation?' Riku asked her. 'I already know we're going to have to tell Kairi. She has a right to know, not only as a Princess of Heart and ruler of Radiant Garden, but also as a friend.' He knew Kairi would be very devastated at the news. There was no doubt that she was a tough person, but this would bring such a huge emotional strain to her. Most people wouldn't know how to handle the news that was about to be told to Kairi. Riku knew she was tough, but how would she handle this emotionally? And more importantly, what would she do about it?

Yuffie chimed in, 'Under different circumstances, I would have told Riku to man up and tell Kairi or I would do it myself. However, this needs a more delicate touch and with you being her other half, you seem like the best choice Namine.' Yuffie didn't like this one bit; she didn't like having others do something she could have easily done herself, but this was completely different. How do you tell your friend that her love had lost his memories of everyone he knew and also attacked an innocent person severely injuring them and sending them to the hospital? To make things worse, the person he attacked happened to be his other half and the (now) boyfriend of one of your closest and dearest friends.

Still, Namine had a tint of hope, 'Are you absolutely sure it was him?' she asked Riku. That question seemed like a moot point, but they had to be sure. 'Sora can sometimes be clueless and forget things, but to attack an innocent? That's not the Sora we know.'

'We said the same thing' Yuffie replied 'but then how do you explain the wounds all over Roxas' body? Add that to the fact that they were made with a keyblade and it's hard to say anything to the contrary no matter how much we don't want to believe it.'

Riku added one more important thing, 'You even have a witness in Roxas. Not only is he Sora's other half, he fought him and thus saw him as well. Roxas may joke around, but in something as grave as this, he would never make fun.'

Namine couldn't argue with any of this; the enormous mountain of evidence against Sora was staggering. A case like this would warrant life imprisonment or …Namine didn't want to think of the other option, but she knew it was there as the most severe punishment for the most heinous crimes. If it came to the second option, Kairi herself would have to give the go ahead and that was something that made Namine shudder.

'You know we're still forgetting one important thing' Namine said. 'Why…'

'What do you mean?' Yuffie asked.

'We still don't know _why_ he attacked Roxas or _why_ he lost his memories. When I had tampered with his memories before, it was very limited. I never made him completely forget, only altered them and even so, I put him to sleep for a year so that he could regain them. What's happening here seems to be on a whole new level. If this _is_ the case, I won't be able to help Sora by putting him to sleep. I don't think anything I could do to change his memories would help. He might be on his own, and in his current state, that would be bad for us all.'

Riku thought about what Namine had just said. If this was to become the new Sora, everyone would be in danger. Sora had a stronger heart than him and it was for that reason the keyblade chose him. They would need a plan and need it fast. 'OK Namine; I agree with everything you said. Once you tell Kairi, as long as you're up for it, we'll need to come up with some plan to deal with this. We're all good friends of Sora, but I'm not going to put that in the way if innocent people are going to get hurt.'

'I don't like this guys, but if this is what it's going to take, count me in' Yuffie replied a bit hesitantly.

'Then it's settled; I'll go talk to Kairi' Namine said with a look of determination on her face. _I just hope this turns out OK; I'm sorry about what Kairi is going to do…_

Namine and Yuffie got up and began to walk in the direction of the castle. Riku stood up as well, but after walking a few feet he turned around. The sky was growing dark and stormy on the horizon and something sent shivers down his spine. _There's something evil at work here…why do I have this ominous feeling of dread all of a sudden?_ Yuffie and Namine both shouted his name bringing him back from his thoughts. He ran over to them and they asked if something was wrong. He told them it was nothing and they continued towards the castle.

Once they were out of sight, a dark figure appeared on the embankment, a smile of pure malice etched across his face. _Excellent…the board is set, the pieces are in place and soon the game will begin. Run along little fools and try to stop me, there is nothing you can do!_ With that, the figure disappeared in a wisp of dark smoke…

* * *

><p>Please rate and review. I will try and get the next chapter out by the end of next week. If I can get enough reviews, maybe I'll put it up earlier.<p>

Thanks!

RRP


	7. The Game Begins

Hi you guys! First of all, I wanted to thoroughly apologize for this being so late. I've been preparing for my parents' 25th and have been very busy.

After this chapter is released, I'm going take a small break just so I can finish planning this event. In the meantime, I will prepare the next couple of chapters so that I can release them in a reasonable time frame.

To everyone who has read and reviewed my story, I want to thank you all for your patience. You guys are great.

DISCLAIMER: I remembered I forgot to put this in a few of my chapters. But really? C'mon. If I _did _own KH or FFX, don't you think I would be designing the story for the next game? Since I'm not, then I guess it's safe to assume that I don't own either of the games or their characters, except the OCs for this story.

Chapter 7: The Game Begins

* * *

><p>The sun had already set and stars were just beginning to shine forth from their day-long rest. Finishing its daily ritual, the sun now handed the stage to the moon who was beginning his performance in the night sky. The wind was gently blowing throughout the city although an occasional gust would come every now and then. It was one such gust that awoke Kairi; she rubbed her eyes feeling the slight dampness from the tears she had cried earlier. Her back and neck were sore since she had cried herself to sleep (again) on the balcony. She knew it was dangerous to expose herself like that, but the balcony was her own little refuge when she need time alone or a break from the sometimes mundane and tedious duties assigned to the ruler of Radiant Garden. Besides, the last heartless attack hadn't come for several weeks and any damage done in that attack had already been repaired. The young monarch wondered how they were able to survive these fights.<p>

Coming back to reality, she knew Riku would scold her for being so reckless. It was amusing whenever he scolded her even though she was a Princess of Heart and queen of the city. Despite these titles, he always treated her like a sister. It had always been like that and she enjoyed it; Riku was a very good friend and would have been a good brother if they were both siblings. If she ever lost Riku like she lost _him_ she wouldn't know what to do with herself. Her thoughts immediately went to blue eyes and brown spiky hair. The person on her mind who had once claimed her heart was gone and an empty hole was left that no one else could fill, not even Riku or any of her other closest friends.

When it became apparent that _he_ wasn't coming back, Riku and the others had tried to turn her mind to the present. The people needed their queen and her friends needed her. Kairi had made a promise to them to stop obsessing over _him_ and focus on her duties. Riku was probably closest to this person and he always told her that _he_ would come back. However, the more Riku told her this and the more time went by, the harder that promise seemed to keep. Another torrent of tears threatened to break forth from her eyes as she thought of this, but she shook them off. As long as she remembered him, he would always be close to her and would one day come back. Preparing herself to head back into her room, she was about to turn around when the sound of footsteps behind her made the hairs on her neck stand on edge…

* * *

><p>Namine was as close to Kairi as Riku was to Sora. Though the two weren't competitive like the boys, there was a fierce bond of loyalty and friendship between them that could never be severed. Even though she was her Nobody, the two girls never saw it like that; they were sisters and best friends to each other. This close relationship allowed the two of them to relate to each other so easily; it was also for this reason why Riku had asked her to break the news to Kairi. He would be there with her when she told her, but Namine knew it was going to be easy either way. The pain within Kairi's heart was great and she didn't want to make it any worse than it was.<p>

When Sora didn't return with Riku after the defeat of Xemnas, everyone hoped he was alright and assumed he would return shortly. As time went by, scouting parties were sent to search for the keyblade master but to no avail. The hope of the people began to wane and some were even wondering if he had been captured, injured or even worse. No one wanted the last option to be a reality but it was starting to become a possibility. Months turned into years and people began to give up on looking for him. That last search that Riku had come back from was supposed to have been the last.

Priorities shifted when the Heartless began showing up again and the defense of the city was placed at the forefront of everyone's mind. The absence of Sora seemed to draw them out. Whatever was holding them back seem to weaken as more and more Heartless descended onto the city in droves. Riku and his group were always able to beat them back, but it seemed to be getting harder and harder to do so as the attacks seemed to intensify with each new swarm. Namine wondered if the increase in attacks had anything to do with Kairi's emotional state. The more depressed the young queen became the stronger the next wave of enemies.

With all of this thinking and pondering, Namine didn't realize that she had already arrived at Kairi's room. There was no light emanating from the bottom of the door so she thought Kairi might have already gone to sleep, but she wanted to be sure. She lightly knocked on the door and called her friend's name; there was no response. She tried again but there was still no answer. Kairi had given her the only copy of the key to her room and Namine used it to check on the queen. Upon entering, Namine noticed that the pale moonlight had cast a peaceful glow in the room. She called out to her friend and still no answer. Nothing seemed out of place and the only thing on the bed was a pair of pajamas. Coming out of the bathroom she just checked, Namine felt a gust of wind enter the room and went to check the balcony and shut the doors if Kairi wasn't outside. Curtains blocked the door to the balcony but when she pushed them aside, the sight that greeted her sent a huge lump to her throat and increased the rate of her heartbeats. There was Kairi motionless on the floor…

* * *

><p><em>About 30 minutes ago…<em>

Kairi was scared; she was sure the door to her room was locked. Namine was the only other one with a key; even Riku didn't have one. A multitude of thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to figure out who (or what) the footsteps belonged to. If there was no response to their knocking, most people would just come back at a later time to see if they need to speak with her. If Namine entered the room she would call Kairi's name; if she was on the balcony, the blond would knock on the outside door to at least alert the young monarch to her presence.

So again she asked herself: _Who was there_? Beads of sweat ran down her face and she clenched her now clammy hands. She was going to face whoever or whatever was behind her. If it was necessary, she could summon her keyblade as a last defense although she rarely ever used it. Turning around, she saw the last thing she expected. In front of her stood a young man who looked to be about her age if not a bit older. He had brown spiky hair and the most beautiful set of blue eyes she had seen. He had on a colored T-shirt, cargos and sneakers and wore a silver chain around his neck that had a small crown at the end of it. He smiled at her, offered his hand and helped her up.

There are times when people, after losing someone close to them, think they begin to see their lost ones at various locations. Some think pity these poor souls while others think they're crazy. Kairi hoped she wasn't going crazy as the one person whom she thought she lost was standing right in front of her. His hand felt real enough but to make sure, she pinched herself in case it was a dream. _Nope, not a dream _she thought to herself. She pinched herself a bit harder again, just to double-check. "You know, some people might call that masochistic if you keep pinching yourself like that." The young man's voice startled her. He smiled at her, moved a few feet away and rested against the ledge so he could take in the view of the city under the night sky.

Kairi rubbed the spot where she had pinched herself; she felt a bit foolish and childish for pinching herself too hard. She was blushing and her heart was racing as she stared at the boy. She wanted to say something to him but was either too excited or nervous to even form a question. Finally, in what seemed like a fit of desperation she said, "Sora, is it…is it really you?"

Time stood still for a brief moment as he question hung in the air. Chuckling to himself and still staring across the city he responded, "C'mon Kairi. After all this time and _this _is the first question you ask me? I thought we were closer than that." The years must have matured him, because the goofy grin she had loved wasn't there but was replaced with a simple smile.

She didn't have a response to his question and found herself sheepishly staring at the floor. What was she waiting for? What was holding her back? The one person she longed for was standing in front of her and she didn't know what to say or do; she felt like a fool. After what seemed like hours of awkward silence (a few minutes) he turned to face her. He was about to say something to her but was interrupted when he was grabbed in tightest embrace. The young woman wrapped around him buried her head in his chest and began sobbing uncontrollably. This was the moment she was waiting for. Here was Sora; he was finally home.

She broke the hug after a couple of minutes. Despite her tear-streaked face could not contain the joy within her. The hole in her heart was filled again and she would never let it open up again. She smiled at him, "Sora, I've missed you so much. You don't know what it's been like without you here these years." Continued to be driven by her emotions, she moved closer to him. She wanted to kiss him. She longed for it; the passion within her could not be contained. Her head slowly gravitated towards his and before she could satisfy her longing, two fingers were pressed against her lips. She stopped and took a few steps back. She was confused; didn't he want the same thing? She knew he liked her and yet he stopped the kiss. Why?

"You must be a bigger fool than I could have imagined Kairi. What made you think I would ever want a kiss from you? Who do you think you are? Did you think I loved you? Well…you're wrong. I can never love you." His words also hung in the air. Kairi took a few steps back and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. Did she just hear him correctly? The hole in her heart was about to turn into a chasm as the last few words resounded in her mind: _I can never love you_.

He began walking towards her; the smile on his face became more menacing with each step he took. She was frightened now; this couldn't be Sora. This wasn't the same kind and gentle friend she had grown up with and eventually fell for. It just couldn't be. She wanted to yell and scream for help but every time she opened her mouth, silence was all that issued forth. She continued to step backwards.

"Aww, cat got your tongue?" he snickered to her. "It's no use; no one can hear or save you now." Kairi was now backed into a corner and he was still bearing down on her. She tried to focus her mind and summon her keyblade, but those last words of rejection blocked all other thoughts. As if sensing what he was doing, he summoned a keyblade. "I know about your keyblade, princess. What happened? It seems like you're having some trouble summoning it. Here, let me help you…"

Those were the last words she heard, as he suddenly appeared in front of her in a burst of speed. Before she blacked out, she thought she saw his eyes flicker green for a moment…

* * *

><p>Yay; another cliffhanger (lol)! Maybe this will give you guys something to ponder while I'm gone for my short break. I would like to see who you guys think it is.<p>

Please rate and review. I always look forward to hearing from those who read this story. It also encourages me to continue writing. Thanks to all again who have already R&R.

As a side note, I decided to title the previous chapters and will continue to title them as I progress with this story. I uploaded the chapters again to reflect this change and any other slight changes (grammar, formatting…) I may have made.

I took off the romance genre off this story seeing as it is going in a different direction than I had previously thought. The adventure genre is still there, but I'm wondering if that should be changed too. If anyone could make some suggestions that would be awesome.

Thanks!

RRP


	8. Silly Things That Girls Do

Before I go on, I want to thank all those who have been patient enough to wait for me to release this next chapter of Coming Home. As some of you may know, my parent's 25th anniversary was a couple of weeks ago and my sister and I had planned a big party for them. It was awesome and very fun, but I didn't realize I had underestimated how much time it really takes to plan such an event.

Now for the apology train…this chapter should have been out much earlier. I really don't have an excuse so I won't bother to make one up. Just know that I am very sorry and will try to have a better release schedule than this. On a better note, I have planned out pretty much the rest of the story and it's going to be longer than I had originally anticipated.

Thanks again for those who have waited for this. Your patience is amazing.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own KH or FFX so please no suing. I like writing this story, but if I lose my money that means no more computer which means no more story and that would suck. Also, I don't own anything from the movie I referenced a quote from (see below for more details).

Chapter 8: Silly Things That Girls Do

* * *

><p>The wind was cool on his face as he waited outside. Riku had told Namine he would wait for her to get Kairi so they could break the news of their findings. He wanted to give the blond some time with Kairi so that the emotional blow wouldn't weigh as heavily on her as they were anticipating; of course, knowing how she felt about Sora, no amount of talking could lessen the severity of the news they were going to give her. Then again, Namine could just be talking it up with Kairi…He sighed as he thought about this. Maybe it was a bad idea to have Namine talk to Kairi first; they should have both gone together. <em>What were they doing?<em> _Why do girls have to take so long getting ready for anything? I bet they're just talking about their hair, guys or whatever other silly things girls do when they're alone._ These thoughts raced through his mind as he paced back and forth on the sidewalk. The information they were about to share with Kairi was very significant. If the Keyblade bearer had gone rogue, what would they do? Most importantly, what would _Kairi_ do? Her actions and decisions on this matter would have to be planned out carefully.

If they let Sora be, what more would happen? He attacked Roxas and almost killed him; who would be next? Sora's heart was the strongest and that was why he was chosen as the Keyblade bearer. Riku had already consented to this fact long ago when he almost gave himself to the darkness to save his friend. Riku was master of the dark; Sora of the light. With Kairi with them, there was nothing they could not overcome. If Sora's light had gone dark who would be the new light? Who would be there to protect the people? They had come to know Sora as the savior of not just their world but of all worlds. He had been their hope when there was none; a light in the dark when all others had gone out. Who would be their new hope? Riku knew they couldn't let this happen. But there was the other side to consider…

If they went and apprehended Sora, what would happen? There was no way they could let innocent people be attacked, even if the attacker happened to be their best friend. It was the duty and responsibility of a keyblade bearer to protect the defenseless and hold the darkness at bay. To turn your back on that would be to turn your back on your duty and on those whom you were entrusted to keep safe. It had been some time since the last heartless attack; did they know that Sora was missing? Apprehending him would surely alert them to this and they would begin their attacks with renewed vigor. Reports had already been coming in of heartless sightings in other worlds. He worried about Disney Castle and his friend the King. He hoped he and the others were all right.

To Riku, it seemed like the absence of Sora lifted a restraint that was holding those monstrosities away. The apprehension would have to be done in secret. _What if he resists?_ Would they be able to bring him? What's more; if things got really bad with Sora, would they be able to do the unthinkable in order to protect and keep everyone safe?

This last thought left a huge knot in Riku stomach. He could be gentle when he needed to be, but he would enact more justice than mercy compared to Kairi. As of that moment, those were the two options that Riku thought were available and he hated both of them. The next few days and even weeks were not going to be pretty.

With all this thinking, Riku hadn't noticed that another half an hour had passed and still no sign of either of the girls; quite frankly, he was getting annoyed. He threw his hands in the air, 'I'm going to give Namine another fifteen minutes. If neither of them shows up, I'm going up.' He found a nearby bench and sat down. Leaning his head back, he let his mind drift to days long past…

* * *

><p><em>2 years ago…<em>

The gummi ship had just landed in the port of Disney Castle. Gray and white smoke filled the area as the ship powered down. It had been a long day for the two passengers onboard and they were exhausted. 'I hope you know you're more than welcome to stay the night if you want to rest before heading back to Radiant Garden. That whale was a lot larger than I thought and the jungle was a lot more humid than I remember.'

'Thank you very much your Majesty' Riku replied. 'I think I'll take you up on that offer. My muscles are sore, my clothes are dirty and I smell worse than a warthog on a hot day in the Pride Lands.' The two had just come back from another search for Sora after going through Monstro and Deep Jungle. 'Besides, I'm pretty sure the others will be a bit offended at my new odor. What has that whale been eating lately?'

The king just chuckled at the boy. 'Who knows what that whale eats Riku? The one thing I do know is that that will be the _last_ time I go through that whale's stomach again. I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that Sora wasn't there or won't be found there. Also, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Mickey? You're a good friend and don't need to call me 'Majesty' anymore.'

'Sorry, just a habit; it won't happen again, _your Majesty_.' Riku mockingly bowed to Mickey as he quickly avoided a small jab from his friend. Light from the ceiling poured in, causing the two to shield their eyes as the door to the ship opened and they exited from the craft. Walking down the platform, they were greeted by two chipmunks, a duck and a dog-like creature.

'Welcome back your Majesty!' the four said in unison. They were all happy that their friend and king returned safely from their journey.

'Chip, Dale, Donald and Goofy; it's so good to see you! How have things been?' the king asked as he was embraced by all of them.

'It's been quiet here. Everything has been fine.' Goofy reported. He looked over the two; it looked like they had been through a grueling journey. 'We did get a report from Radiant Garden while you were gone. It seems like Cloud, Leon, Yuffie and the others have returned from their searches and have not found anything.'

'And by your disheveled looks and expressions it seems like your search turned up nothing as well' Donald chimed in. He too had noticed the condition the two had returned in. 'May we ask what happened?'

'Yea, yea, yea, yea ,yea!' Chip and Dale exclaimed rapidly. 'What happened?'

Riku and Mickey looked at each other and chuckled a bit. 'Why don't you let us wash and rest for a bit and we'll give you all the details?' Mickey said as he nodded to Riku who nodded back. 'We're both a bit tired and I still have to talk with Minnie and let her know that I'm back.' This seemed to satisfy the group. 'Chip and Dale, can you two fix up the ship while Riku and I freshen up? The ship was slightly damaged by some asteroids and other debris on the way back here.'

The two saluted to the king and headed in the direction of the ship to begin repairs while Donald and Goofy walked back to the castle with Mickey and Riku. Upon entering the castle, Donald and Goofy headed down the hall with Riku while the king walked up the stairs to the throne room. Turning to face the trio before leaving he said, 'Oh, and by the way Riku; you _do_ smell like a warthog on a hot day in the Pride Lands.' With that he laughed and went his separate way to talk with his queen.

* * *

><p>'Wow! That shower was awesome. I feel totally relaxed.' Riku had just finished washing and was getting dressed in a small room while Donald and Goofy waited in the adjoining one. The guest quarters at Disney Castle were finished nicely similar to those at Kairi's castle. Each quarter had the main bedroom with a small room off to the side that would act like a huge closet and dressing area. Next to that was a bathroom that included a Jacuzzi style shower and tub. Aside from the very comfortable full-size bed he would be enjoying later that night, the shower was next in line. It had a massage-like level that would spray water in short but powerful bursts that could sooth even the most stressful of muscles. Riku didn't believe in long showers relaxing showers as he thought they were a waste of time. You went in to clean yourself and that was it. What was the use of sitting in the water letting your skin get wrinkly? Besides, you would be soaking yourself in whatever dirt and sweat you had on you and therefore the whole thing seemed counterproductive. He had to make an exception this time as he spent a little longer than he should have in the shower. After it, Riku felt like he could single-handedly take on an army of Behemoths.<p>

Now fully clothed, he walked into the other room to walk with Donald and Goofy to the king's throne room. 'Gawsh; you look much better than you did Riku' Goofy told him. Riku smiled at him as he put on his sneakers.

'We thought we might have to check on you' Donald said. 'You never take this long in the shower. I thought you said it was a waste of time.' The magician was eyeing the boy suspiciously when he grinned mischievously, 'Does our little Riku have a date?'

'Awww, that's so sweet' Goofy chimed in as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. 'They grow up so fast.' As he said this, he burst into laughter as Donald followed suit shortly after.

'Ha, ha, ha' Riku said as he finished fastening the laces to his sneakers. The other two were still laughing. 'If you two jokers are done, I believe the king is waiting for us' Riku said as he left the room and headed towards the throne room.

'We were just messing with you Riku. Cheer up a bit' Goofy told him still chuckling. He picked Donald up and they both ran to catch up with the boy. 'Hey Donald, I bet I can get to the king faster than you.' With that, he took off with the poor duck waddling after him as fast as possible.

Riku knew Donald was too short to catch up with Goofy but was amused by their childish game anyway. His thoughts went back to the 'date' joke Donald cracked earlier. He remembered a slender, shorter figure of a girl with black hair, blue eyes and a smile that would melt his once hard heart. He would never see her again, but wondered how things would have been if he could. A voice woke him from his thoughts, 'RIKU!….RIKU!….

* * *

><p>'…RIKU…RIKU…RIKU!' Riku awoke from his daydream not realizing that he had dozed off for about fifteen minutes. The night sky was overcast as he tried to discern where the voice that awoke him was coming from. He thought it was in his dream, but after a couple of seconds, he realized it was coming from within the castle. The voice sounded familiar and after several more seconds he realized who it was. Namine was calling for him, but it wasn't a call for attention; no, it was a call for help. He could have run inside and up the stairs to her location, but this situation called for something faster. Whipping out his Way to the Dawn, he opened a dark portal; he knew Namine was in Kairi's room. He also knew that as a keyblade bearer it was his duty to protect his friends. He would not let them down; he stepped through the darkness, the portal closing within seconds of him going through.<p>

* * *

><p>Not sure if you guys caught it, but there was a quote from Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, when Lady Galadriel gives Frodo Eärendil. I wanted to give credit where credit was due, but see if you guys can find it if you didn't notice it. It's not an exact quote, but the idea is there and I wasn't really sure how to add a footnote or some type of citation for it.<p>

I can keep apologizing for my lateness on these chapters and thanking you all for your patience, reviews, but I figure it's time to thank each of you individually. Before that, I want to thank all those who have read and/or favorited this story and its author. To all of you guys out there thanks a bunch. If I forget you on this list, please send me a message so I can rectify it as soon as possible. Thanks to…

**miano53**

**TheCrazyAnimeFan**

**NoOneXIII**

**Said The Liar 13**

**El-Ski**

**Redeeming Endeavor**

It's a short list, but hopefully more will come forward and I can add to this list. You guys are the best! The next chapter will be out later this week. I'll have some updates for you then.

Also, since it's Veteran's Day today, I want to thank any veterans or their family members for the sacrifice they have had to make. My dad is a recently retired veteran and I understand the possible toll and strain it can put on a family. Thanks to all who serve and to those who have served. For those veterans who have passed, may you all rest in peace.

Thanks again!

RRP


	9. Helpless

Sorry everyone, meant to put this out yesterday (it was already done!). Anyway, here's the next chapter of Coming Home. Hope you guys enjoy it. Please rate and review!

**DISCLAIMER**: Wish I did but I don't own anything here other than this story and my OC, Vander. So please no suing; I have nothing to give, really…unless you want my dog (lol). And even then, I will probably fight you for it.

Chapter 9: Helpless

* * *

><p>Life sometimes seemed easier to Namine when she was stuck in that mansion with her drawings. The solitude and the peace she enjoyed there was refreshing to her being. She would create wonderful masterpieces that hung on the wall of her room. There were no heartless attacking, no other people for her to carry about and no blond, spiky-haired boy she worried for because she loved him. Since Xemnas' defeat, she and Roxas were able to live in the world with their friends instead of living in their shadows. Her other half had become her best friend and with everyone else, they all became one happy family.<p>

Now her best friend lay in her arms and she didn't know what to do. The night sky darkened and clouds blocked the shining stars as if nature was mourning along with her. There was no blood on the floor, but Kairi's body was pale and cold to the touch. She needed to get help, but didn't want to leave her friend on the balcony unguarded and unprotected. She called for Riku hoping that he would hear her despite the fact he was downstairs. Roxas was still in the hospital and Yuffie had left them to meet up with Leon and the gang for border patrol. 'Riku, please come quick' she said to herself as was trying to decide what to do. Maybe she could drag Kairi into her room and place her on the bed. It might take her awhile, but it would be better than leaving her outside. Once this was done, she could go get Riku if he hadn't already come and show him what happened.

No sooner had she decided on her course of action, when a dark portal appeared and Riku stepped through. He scanned the area quickly before his eyes rested on Namine and the body in her arms. A look of concern came over his face as he rushed to her side, 'Are you OK? What happened here?'

Namine was visibly shaken and her tear-stained face held only two emotions: fear and sadness. Riku wanted to panic for he was also afraid and scared, however he showed no emotion. Someone had to keep a clear mind and the blond was definitely not the one who would be able to at the time. Riku, noticing that he received no response from the blond, shook her gently and asked her again, 'What happened here?'

She turned towards him and as she did another surge of tears welled up in her eyes causing her to cry again. _This is bad, this is really bad_ Riku thought. He gently took Kairi's limp body from the girl and brought it back inside and placed in on the bed, covering her with the sheets. He then went back outside, placed his arms around Namine and brought her back in. He sat her in a chair and closed the balcony doors. She was still crying as he closed the doors.

There was a pitcher of water and some cups on a nearby table, so Riku poured Namine a glass and handed it the girl. 'Drink some water. It'll help you calm down' he said to her. She took the glass from him and began to drink. Her crying began to minimize until it was down to a few sniffles. 'Are you feeling better now?'

She placed the cup down and wiped her eyes, 'Yea, a little bit better. Thanks.' He nodded to her and they stayed there in silence for a couple of minutes. Riku wasn't sure if he should ask her just yet; he didn't want another round of crying. However, he also needed some answers about what just transpired. Surprisingly, Namine spoke up, 'I…I don't know what happened Riku. I came in here and everything was quiet. After briefly looking around the room for her, I found the balcony door open. Thinking she might be outside I went out and f…f…found her…' she couldn't get the rest of the sentence out as she broke into another round of tears.

Before doing anything else, Riku ran to the side of Kairi's bed. Realizing he had not checked earlier, he placed two fingers on her neck. With a sigh of relief, he removed them; she still had a pulse, a weak one, but a pulse nevertheless. He then walked back to Namine and embraced her. The blond was getting snot and tears on his shirt, but he could care less. He thought of Kairi as his little sister and made sure he would do everything to protect her. In the state the young monarch was in, he felt completely helpless, sad and broken-hearted. Most of all, he felt angry; angry at whoever did this to her, but also angry at himself. How could he let this happen? He should have been there for her. It was foolish thinking, as he wouldn't always be around to protect his 'sister', but he still felt responsible.

His feelings, however, paled in comparison to what he thought Namine was going through. She was a mess when she found Roxas in the hospital because he had almost been killed on a mission. Now she finds Kairi on the roof, barely conscious and she, unable to do anything to help her. Kairi was her best friend, but there was so much more to it than that. Being her Nobody, Namine was the next closest thing to a sister. Physically, they looked different and emotionally, they handled various situations differently. But mentally, there was a very deep connection between the two that, to the outsider, would make them seem related to each other. For the moment, all Riku could do was let her cry out everything she was feeling. He turned his towards Kairi's limp form and for a second he thought he saw black hair in place of her red…

* * *

><p>I had just finished recounting my story to Mr. Fang. For the most part, he was quiet throughout the thing with the exception of the few times he would stop me to ask a question or comment. At the end of it, I did feel better telling this stranger my story. Plus he really was a good listener. 'It seems like you've had it real rough kid' he said. 'I don't know if I would have had the heart to deal with everything you've gone through.'<p>

He was right though; I wasn't sure how I was still emotionally stable after the events of the last couple of days. First, the cryptic messages from a stranger, then there was the failed meeting at the restaurant. On top of that, I found Mr. Sho dead in the house and confronted the murderer (or at least whom I thought to be), only to be told that everything I was living was a fantasy; a lie! The nerve and gall of that guy! To make matters worse, I was ripped from my home and thrust into some weird place where there are multiple worlds each connected by some place called 'Kingdom Hearts.' It was a lot for me to process and take in. 'Thanks anyway for listening Mr. Fang' I said. 'You seem like a good person and remind of Mr. Sho in so many ways.'

'Thanks for the compliment, Sora. I'm always glad to help another person out. Like I said before, there was no way I could have left you stranded on the beach like that; it would have been inhumane. Besides, with a young kid like yourself around, I might be able to get some things done that would have not been possible before; that is, if you don't mind.' The old man gave me a grin.

'Well, let's see…' I assumed a thinking stance and looked up at the ceiling. 'You _only _saved me from potentially freezing to death overnight and gave me a warm place to stay.' I pretended to mull things over, 'I guess I can help you around the house.' He seemed slightly offended and down-hearted about my response, so I just grinned at him, 'Of course I'll help you Mr. Fang. It's the least I could do.' I was only joking with him, but realized I might have taken it a bit too far. I was a bit relieved to see him visibly relax and a smile form on his face.

'Good to hear that Sora; consider this your new home then.' he was beaming as he said this.

It seemed like I was finally getting adjusted to life in Esrévart and now I'm stuck here in this world (not sure if I'll get used to that) called Destiny Islands. For the moment, I put the thought of avenging Mr. Sho's death aside and tried to focus on the present. If I was stuck here, I would make the most out of it. The place seemed nice and the fact that the beach was a ten minute walk from Mr. Fang's house was an added bonus. Plus there was the library where he said I might be able to find some answers. _Destiny Islands_ I thought to myself. _Hmmm, it has a nice ring to it and it seems somewhat familiar_…_Maybe I can turn this potentially bad situation into something good…_

* * *

><p>Leon, Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie were scouting the outer perimeters. They were getting ready to finish their rounds and head back to the castle. 'I feel so bad for Namine' Aerith said. 'She's a strong girl, but there's only so much distress one can take before breaking down.'<p>

'I know' Tifa chimed in. Yuffie was telling them all that she, Riku and Namine had discussed earlier that day while they were making their rounds. 'Why would Sora attack Roxas? Aren't they like brothers to each other?'

'We have fought alongside Sora before. He's a good kid. There's no way he would or could ever do something like this' Cloud said.

'I agree' Leon said, 'but then what about the physical marks on Roxas and his story? That's some pretty hard evidence. I don't like it one bit, but if we say that Sora is innocent, then we're calling Roxas a liar and completely ignoring the fact that he was severely wounded and in the hospital. On the other hand, if we side with Roxas then where does that leave us with Sora?'

They all pondered these questions and their implications. Could a keyblade bearer really turn his back on his oath to protect his friends and the innocent? Since the keyblade is weapon based on the heart of a person, could it be that a good person gone bad still keep their keyblade as long as their heart was still strong? Also, why make such an elaborate charade to accuse their best friend and 'brother' of such a heinous act? Either way one looked at it, the news was troubling.

'I know we're worried about Roxas, Namine and Sora, but I think we're forgetting one more person you guys' Yuffie stated. They all turned to her and she continued, 'What about Kairi? We can't forget about her and how she must be feeling throughout this entire thing.' They pondered what the ninja said carefully. _What was the young monarch going through_?

'Kairi is a Princess of Heart' Cloud said. 'She has a strong heart, probably as strong as Sora's. However, even the strongest heart can be broken by some sort of trauma. These last three years have not been easy for her. We've all seen it.' The group nodded their head in agreement.

'She also has a kingdom to run. Let's not forget that too' Tifa said. 'Those pressures are not helping either. She has all of us, our friends from the other worlds, Riku, Roxas and Namine, but none of us can fill in the gap left by Sora.'

'This whole situation is similar to a quote I read from a while back' Aerith said:

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all

'I don't remember who it's from, but it seems to sum this whole thing up' she said. 'Although for Kairi, I think either option is bad when you look at it. Maybe it was a bad time to bring that up, forget it' she turned away slightly embarrassed by her comments.

Yuffie and Tifa noticed this. Walking closer to her Yuffie said, 'I thought it was sweet Aerith.'

'Yea, don't be embarrassed. We knew what you were trying to convey' Tifa said as she too walked over to Aerith. The red head looked at the two and smiled. 'Wasn't it sweet boys?' The two men were a bit surprised by Tifa's question and mumbled a response. 'Argh, leave it to boys to not understand such things!' she exclaimed. She turned her head slightly just in time to catch Cloud sticking his tongue at her with Leon chuckling to himself. She stood up and began menacingly marching towards him.

'Cloud Strife! What did you just do?' she questioned. There was dangerous tone in her voice.

'Someone's in trouble' Leon snickered at his friend.

'Shut up' was the only response Cloud could give to him, as Tifa advanced upon him. 'Hey, hey Tifa; I was only messing.' She said nothing as she continued towards him. He was getting a bit worried; he wanted to move, but his feet weren't moving. She looked him dead in the eye when she was face to face with him. 'I…I'm sorry?' were the only things he could say.

She held his gaze before her features relaxed. She smiled, patted his cheek, and walked back towards the girls. 'That was weird' Leon said. 'You OK? You were shaking a bit as she walked towards you.'

'I'm fine. It's fun to annoy her like that, but I probably pushed it there. She's a great fighter on and off the field and her temperament can match her fighting prowess just as well. But then, that's why I love her.'

'You done lover boy?' Leon said to Cloud rolling his eyes. He gave him a quick jab in the shoulder. The blond stuck his tongue out at him. 'You know, I think I see why Tifa was a bit upset. Dude, that's so childish. Anyway c'mon, let's catch up with the girls. I think it's time we all get back home.' Reaching the awaiting girls, they all began a slow and quiet walk back home. Each of them was deep in thought regarding the conversation they just had and the events that were slowly unfolding before them.

A couple of minutes later the sound of a dark portal opening made them all move for their weapons. Seconds later, a distressed Riku walked out and they relaxed themselves. 'Guys, we have a real bad situation. Come with me, it's an emergency. Something has happened to Kairi…'

* * *

><p>I hope none of you thought I forgot about Sora (although truth be told, I almost forgot about him myself, lol).<p>

What will happen when the gang finds out about Kairi? What happened to her? What will become of Sora? Why are there so many blond characters? (Am I asking too many questions?) Lol.

In case any of you were wondering, the quote Aerith used is from Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson's Poem _In Memoriam: 27_. I think it fit nicely in this chapter, but let me know what you guys think.

In terms of updates, I've been sick these past couple of days. I'm trying to write several chapters in advance so that I can update in some timely manner especially when I return to work. I do apologize for my sporadic updates; I need to be more consistent. To all the readers, thank you for your patience!

Please review and comment. It's awesome when I see that people are reading my story. It's better when I see people leave reviews. It gives me a drive to keep forging on.

Thanks again!

RRP


	10. Awakening

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

**DISCLAIMER: **Do we really have to go through this? No ownership rights to FFX or KH, only two created characters of this story

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Awakening<p>

The group stepped from the dark portal into Kairi's room. The rays of the moon cast a pale glow within and the flame from a small candle dancing upon its wick added to what was already a somber scene. Namine was sitting on a small chair next to the bed, her head resting on several of the sheets draped over the side. Hearing the noise, she stirred and lifted her head. Her tear-stained face had imprints from the sheets and her eyes looked sad and distant. _She must have cried herself to sleep when I left to get the group_ Riku thought.

She stood up, wiped the moisture from her face and did her best to smile at the group. Needless to say, it was weak and a 'Hi guys' was all she could manage to say.

'You poor thing' Aerith said as she ran to Namine's side and embraced her. Tifa and Yuffie followed suit and did what they could to calm and reassure the blonde. Knowing she was better, the three smiled at her and motioned for the boys to come over. They also embraced the girl, acknowledging their empathy. She smiled at the group; she was so grateful for their support and was glad she had such great friends.

They all turned their attention to Kairi's unconscious form on the bed. If it weren't for the fact that Riku had told them she was still alive, though barely, they might have thought she was…they all banished the thought from their minds. They wouldn't let themselves think that far. Aerith was the first to speak up, 'You said her pulse was weak right Riku?'

'Yeah. Is there something you can do for her?' He was just as nervous and scared as the rest of them, but didn't show it.

'We will see. Could you guys give me some room?' They all nodded and left her alone with the girl. Aerith turned her attention to the young monarch. She touched her hand to Kairi's head; it was slightly clammy. Walking back to the door, she opened it and asked Tifa to grab some towels from one of the nearby closets and for Leon to grab a pail of warm water from the kitchen. The two returned with their items; she took the water from Leon and had Tifa follow her into the room. 'Her body is cold and clammy. We need to first raise her body temperature before we do anything' she told Tifa.

The two women brought Kairi to the bathroom and cleaned her. Once finished, they put a fresh set of clothes on her and placed her back on the bed. 'Will that bath be enough Aerith?'

'It should be. She's still unconscious so a shower is out of the question; also, we can't just let her soak in the tub. It might be difficult to explain how or why she drowned in her own tub.' It was a small joke that Aerith hoped would lighten the mood a bit. Given the situation, however, all it did was manage a micro chuckle from Tifa. 'No, the bath was fine. It was mostly done so we could at least raise her body temperature back to normal before I try to heal her.'

Tifa nodded her head in understanding and looked at the girl on the bed. She began to blame herself for not being there more often for the young monarch. How could everything get so bad? Was Kairi's heart so entwined with Sora's that she couldn't bear being apart from him for so long? Unlike before, where both were searching in the hopes of finding each other, there seemed to be less to no hope now. Three years apart from him and now the news of Roxas' near fatal encounter with Sora; she wondered how Kairi made it through all of this without collapsing emotionally and mentally. She was strong, but it seemed like she finally reached her breaking point.

Aerith noticed the warring emotions on her friends face. 'Don't blame yourself' she told her. 'There was nothing any of us could do. Right now, all we can do is be there for her when she comes to. She'll definitely need someone to help her though the pain, the sorrow, the agony…'

Tifa knew it was foolish to blame herself but couldn't help it either way. They were all friends and in some way, a family too. Members of a family were supposed to watch each other's backs. If one was hurting, they were all supposed to be there and help that person through their suffering. If one of them was attacked in any way, the others should be at that person's defense. A family was cohesive or at least should be and she couldn't help but feel that she let Kairi down.

Despite her thoughts, she did notice the way Aerith had ended her sentence. 'Is there something wrong?' she asked.

The red head seemed distant and reserved; the puzzled and troubled expression on her face was hard to miss. 'Yes' was the only reply she gave for a few seconds. 'There are a couple of things bothering me. Kairi has no physical wounds and there are none of the telltale signs of any internal ones.'

'Isn't that good?' Tifa asked a bit confused.

'In most cases yes, but not this one.' As a demonstration, her hands began glowing a pale green and she hovered them over Kairi's body scanning for injuries. 'You see? Nothing; I can't detect anything wrong with her. Most would consider this a good thing, but not me. I've seen these symptoms before and if it's what I think it is, Kairi may be in more danger than we realize.'

'You lost me, Aerith' Tifa replied. 'How can she be in _more_ danger? You just said that there were no external or internal injuries. Most people would consider that good, but you're saying that it's not. I know you're the best medic around here and you know what to look for in with a wounded person, but you have to help me out here. _What exactly is wrong with Kairi?_' The last part was a bit more forceful than she meant, but Aerith was being a bit cryptic and she wanted her to get to the point.

Tifa was getting annoyed and Aerith noticed the tone in her voice. It hurt a bit, but she understood; there was no beating around the bush in a time like this. 'Sorry Tifa. Did you know that physical injuries are not the only thing that can kill a person?'

'Yeah. Things like illnesses and diseases can kill people' Tifa replied.

'True. Some of them are so bad that the negative effect on a person's emotional or mental state can kill them; I've seen it firsthand… When a loved one no longer has the will to live because they feel everything is hopeless; when a loved one feels so alone and thinks no one cares for them at all; when a loved one thinks death is the only means to escape their suffering – that is what can kill a person.' She turned around so Tifa wouldn't see the tears threatening to escape her eyes.

That didn't fool Tifa however. She noticed Aerith was shaking and her knuckles were white from her hands being clenched tightly. 'What's wrong? Why did you keep saying a _loved one_?'

Aerith took a deep breath and calmed herself before continuing. She turned to Tifa, her eyes glistening with held-back tears. 'These symptoms and the things that Kairi's been going through are the same things that happened to my mom before she died. This is why I am so concerned for her.'

'Wait…'Tifa said. 'I thought your mom was killed by ShinRa agents?'

'Yes she was, but it didn't have to end the way it did.'

'How so? When those people hunted you down, you were either caught or just barely escaped. What _really _happened with your mom?'

'I guess I should tell you now.' Aerith replied. 'It's no use keeping you guys in the dark about this anymore, plus telling you will help us with Kairi.'

Tifa was all ears as Aerith began recounting the story behind her parent's death. She knew her father was killed and her mother followed soon after. That was all that Aerith ever told them and she let it be seeing as is was a delicate and sensitive subject. Now she was getting a more in-depth look into some unfortunate events.

'…after my father was killed, my mom and I went into hiding. We were scared, tired and angry. Most importantly we were very sad as anyone would be when they lose a loved one. I thought I was taking the pain of my dad's death a lot, but my mom…well; let's just say it really hit her hard. She was never the same after that.' The brunette let out a deep sigh and continued her story. 'My mom was always the outgoing type and she was always happy. She told me there were two events in her life that were her most treasured and loved; the first, when she married my dad and the second, when I was born. She used to tell me that the day of her wedding was magical and she almost thought it was a dream, until my dad passed out during the ceremony.' That last comment got a small chuckle from the two before she continued.

'My mom's entire world seemed to collapse when he was gone. She became very reserved and quiet. Every attempt I made to start a conversation was stopped with her short few-worded responses. She never smiled after that. At one point, I thought I might be causing her pain since my presence would remind her of my dad. My emerald eyes were the same color as my father's and most people said they could see his face in mine. I considered distancing myself from her to minimize her pain, but changed my mind – I couldn't leave her alone when she was so vulnerable…

Then came that night; we were found again, I think some snoopy neighbors recognized us and ratted us out. Anyway, we were running and a friend of mom's had given her train tickets to escape the district and move beyond the agent's reach. We had two tickets, one for each of us, and we were ready to go. The agents were hot on our tail when we got to the station. Thinking she was going to distract the agents, she shoved me into the train as it began taking off. What I didn't know and what I would come to find out later from a close family friend was that she had given up. She was tired of all the running and had told our friend that her time was up. She couldn't carry on anymore without my dad. She wanted me to live on and remember all the good times we spent together. They told me she died with a smile on her face, as though she knew she could be finally reunited with her husband. A woman on the train saw the events, had pity and took me in as one of her own. You know the rest after that…'

Tifa was quiet for a couple minutes mostly due to shock of this revelation. She didn't know what to think or say regarding what was just revealed to her. A sea of emotions from sadness to anger welled inside of her. 'I really don't know what to say Aerith. I feel for you more than ever after that story, but I'm also a bit angry…how could…'

Aerith stopped her before she could continue. 'How could my mom be so selfish and leave me like that?' Tifa nodded her head in agreement. 'Believe me, after I went through the sadness of her death, I began to feel angry and abandoned. While we did lose my father, she still had me. I wanted to hate her for leaving me alone with no family, for abandoning me, but then I realized something.'

'And what was that?' Tifa asked.

'My mother loved me with her whole heart and even though the end was happy cheery like some might envision it, she was still my mother. If anything, I shouldn't be angry at her or hate her if at least for my dad's sake. Besides, she's in a better place now and I'm sure that they would both not want me to live my life in anger and hatred. It was for that reason they were killed. Can you imagine how they would feel if they realized that I became that which they abhorred?'

'So you completely forgave her?'

'It was difficult at first, but I eventually did. I think having Elmrya with me made it easier. I felt like I belonged to a family again.' Aerith smiled and she seemed more relaxed than before.

'OK. So in a nutshell, Kairi could be suffering from a severe depression and/or PTSD and it's our job to make sure she doesn't give up. It kinda makes sense why everyone was trying to keep her occupied with other things. Do you think she'll pull through?' Tifa knew the young monarch was strong and if there was a way to get through the pain and suffering, she would do it. I mean, as a Princess of Heart, they should be able to overcome all emotional turmoil, right?

'I think she'll be fine, but we should still monitor her closely. We can tell everyone else our prognosis, but Tifa, promise me you won't tell anyone else about what really happened to my mother?'

'I won't tell anyone else Aerith, but I think there might come a time when you'll have to' Tifa replied.

'I know, and hopefully I'll be ready when that time comes.' She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she would have to come clean later with the rest of her friends. 'Tifa; look at this!' Aerith was pointing to Kairi's limp body. At first she didn't see anything but then, like calm ocean waves, Kairi's chest began to rise and fall slowly. A single tear broke forth from Aerith's eyes as she beamed at Tifa. 'It looks like she's going to be all right after all.'

Tifa was already at the door, 'Guys come in quick!' The rest of the group came in, looked at Tifa, Aerith and then at Kairi's form on the bed. Yuffie was the first to notice.

'Look closely. There! Can you see it?' the ninja exclaimed.

'I see it too' Riku said. 'Namine?' The blond was already across the room, holding Aerith in a warm embrace.

'I don't what you did, but you brought her back. It looks like her breathing has returned to normal! Thank you! Thank you so much!' the blond exclaimed to the girl.

Aerith just held Namine and lightly chuckled. 'Tifa and I didn't do much. I think this was all Kairi's doing. She's in there somewhere fighting her way back.'

Leon and Cloud were both surprised at the strength of Kairi's heart. Riku noticed their looks but chose not to say anything. He already knew the girl's inner strength. He was sure that, other than Sora, Kairi had the strongest heart of them all and even against Sora's it was a tough call. He was just relieved to hear that his best friend would be fine. 'I'm assuming she'll need to be monitored closely until she wakes up and then for awhile after while she's recovering, right Aerith?' The brunette nodded to him in agreement.

Everyone agreed that they would start the next morning with posted guards at her door. Every couple of hours, one of them would check on the queen. In the meantime, it had been a long day and night for everyone and they would need their rest for the upcoming days and weeks. They were all determined to make sure that Kairi would be safe and would return to them. The excitement of her potential recovery pushed their worries regarding Sora away for the moment; that situation could be dealt with later. For now, they all filed out of the room going to their own respective rooms for some well earned rest.

The lights from the candles in Kairi's room continued their somber dance on the walls of the room. One by one they were extinguished by some unknown force, until only one remained. Shadows crept from the corners staining the area with their darkness. A presence filled the room and simply stared at the monarch lying on her bed. 'Foolish ones, if only you knew. I control the board and I am in position to attack. Your doom is inevitable. It will start with her and one by one they will all fall. One loose end is all that needs to be taken care of.' The room grew slightly cold and the last candle blew out. A wolf howled in the distance and Kairi's eyes flew open, her once blue eyes, now green as emeralds.

* * *

><p>I was going to add more to this chapter but realized that it has been too long since the last update and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Consider this a late Christmas present (lol). Anyway, I don't mean to leave you all on a cliffhanger but this seemed like a good spot to end. With that said, I am already working on the next chapter. I won't make any promises as to when it will be released. I have to readjust back to a work schedule (no more late nights – sad face-)<p>

Thanks to all who reviewed and favorited this story; you all make me happy.

If anyone was wondering about ShinRa, they should look up the FFX wiki online. I altered Aerith's story a bit to fit into my own. I have to admit, I haven't played FFX 7, so I hope my rendition of her background didn't offend any FFX fans. If I did, sorry!

Hope everyone has a great 2012 and hopefully the next chapter will be released soon.


	11. Treason?

Hello all. I think I'm going to stop making predictions as to when the next chapter will come out. It seems every time I got to start working on it, something else comes up. Apologies go out to all of you who waited so long and thanks for being so patient.

In terms of delays however, I will tell you that my laptop hard drive had died and I had to replace it. I'm not sure how many of you have ever had to go through this, but do any of you know how long 200+ updates take to complete.

**DISCLAIMER:** No ownership rights here except for my own characters for the story. I'm just a simple writer trying to make people happy with his story.

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Treason?<p>

'That was fun Mr. Fang; I think that was the largest haul we've had yet.' We were bringing our catch onto shore along with all the equipment. Not the most exciting part of fishing, but something necessary if we wanted to get things done. It had been several months since I met the old man and after learning the ropes, I thought I was an adept fisherman. That's not to say that the whole process was easy or smooth; there were plenty of times I wanted to throw Mr. Fang overboard and I'm sure there were many more times he wanted to do the same to me.

Fishing was one of those things that always seemed boring. To have to sit or stand at a dock or on a boat for several hours waiting for some unlucky fish to come by and get snared by a hook didn't seem all that appealing. I was never one for patience; if something had to get done, I wouldn't wait for anyone to give me the go-ahead. I just went and did it. Of course, that would get me into trouble with Mr. Fang who would sometimes have to bail me out of some messy situations...

* * *

><p><em>One time, after going most of the day without catching anything, I decided that I would jump in the water and try to catch the fish myself, something I would never do again. Not only did I succeed in scaring whatever fish were nearby, I also tired myself in the process. Who knew that fish could swim faster than humans (it's not like they've been doing it all their lives)? Anyway, if being tired was my only concern, there would have been no problem. I could have easily just let myself float to the top or just swim, get in the boat and receive the scolding that I deserved from the old man.<em>

_If that were the case, life would be easy. However, life isn't easy and it has an interesting (and painful) way of teaching you lessons. I decided to swim to the surface and face my punishment. On my way up however, I felt a harsh burning and stinging sensation in my right ankle that made it very painful to move my leg. I grabbed my ankle and began panicking when I saw the bright red spot with what looked like small red tendrils shooting up my leg. Panic turned into struggle and after some time, I passed out from lack of oxygen._

_I woke up an hour or so later in my room with a concerned Mr. Fang standing over me. I was slightly light-headed and had a searing pain in my ankle. After assessing my situation, he scolded me and told me that I was very lucky things weren't worse. Apparently, the jellyfish that stung me was one of the more poisonous kinds; that would have explained my symptoms including the nausea I was beginning to feel. _

_Shortly after that my sword lessons began. Mr. Fang said I was in need of some serious discipline and he thought this would be a good place to start. Outwardly, I made it seem as though I was disinterested, but inwardly I told myself that I would relish this time as this awakened my fascination with those interesting key-looking blades. I won't bore anyone with details of my lessons; all I know was that they made me a more patient and disciplined person. That's not to say that I was perfect, but it was a definite improvement._

* * *

><p>It was through all of this that I came to appreciate Mr. Fang for all that he taught me. I can honestly say that he made me a better person. Some of the villagers were impressed with the level of maturity I displayed and that it was good to see one of the younger folk act their age. During this time, I also realized how much Mr. Fang actually cared about me. He could be rough around the edges to some people, but there was this kindness he always showed me, even when I was being reprimanded.<p>

'Are you going to do some work or just stand there and daydream all day' a voice said to me as I received a light tap on the back of my head. Mr. Fang just laughed, shook his head and walked towards the boat to gather the last remaining items. I ran to the boat and grabbed the last few things he was trying to get together.

'You know you're not getting any younger old man. Don't carry too much' I teased him.

'Well, who else is going to do all the work when you stand there daydreaming' he shot right back. We both stared at each other for a minute before laughing. At this point, we both knew when we were joking and when we were serious; this happened to be one of the former moments.

'Hey, Mr. Fang; I was just thinking about something…'

'You know I told you to be careful thinking.'

'Haha. Do you remember the incident with the jellyfish?'

He nodded, 'How could I forget? You were pretty foolish back then and if I remember correctly, you still have the scar right? Why are you asking?'

My face went slightly red with embarrassment as I scratched my head and nodded in agreement. He was right though; who in their right mind (except for me of course) tries to catch a fish by swimming after it? 'Why did you save me?'

He seemed taken aback by this question as though he was surprised that I would have asked why he saved my life. To him it seemed like common sense; wouldn't anyone have done that? 'I couldn't let you drown; no matter how foolish your mistake was, I could never have left someone like that.'

There was something he was hiding in his answer however. A look of pain perhaps? I was determined to find out. 'I know there was another reason Mr. Fang. I was a real pain back then; most people would have probably never even bothered to save me. It would have been the end of them having to put up with me. On top of that, you also went and taught me discipline and showed me how to handle a sword. A stranger like me would never have received this treatment. So what was it Mr. Fang?'

At this point he was getting agitated. 'What else do you want from me Sora?' He only used my name when he was angry. 'A young kid going overboard should be saved even if they _are_ a pain. That's all it was; a kind gesture, but as I can see that isn't good enough for you apparently.'

This was not how I wanted this conversation to go, but I needed to know if what I sensed was true, so I kept pressing. 'That's a lie Mr. Fang. There's something else you're not telling me. What is it? I'm not going to stop until I know.'

He was ready to boil over at this point. 'FINE!' he shouted, 'I…I couldn't stand to lose you even if you were such a pain back then, because…well because I consider you my son…' A single tear fell from his face with these last words.

I've never seen him cry before. I remember he said I reminded him of his son, but I would've never thought he would go so far as to accept me as if I _was _his son. Everything of course made sense as soon as he said this. I noticed over the time I was with him, that he became kinder and less strict with me. He was becoming more protective and he was finally able to admit to me (and himself) what I was to him. He was becoming a father to me. This thought took me back to my days with Mr. Sho and I too found a single drop of moisture slide down my cheek. I said the only thing that came to my mind at that point,

'Thanks…Dad.'

A look of shock came over his face. He couldn't help but smile seeing my goofy grin. Hugging me he said, 'Thank you son.'

* * *

><p>The old man lived about 5 minutes outside of the main village which was about a quarter mile walk to the library. Walking through, the people greeted me with warm smiles and the occasional pat on the back. I'm not sure why everyone was especially nice to me, but I didn't take much stock in it. Since his son's death, they used to say he was cold and distant from everyone; ever since he found me, however, they've noticed a change in him, a good change. I assumed that's why they were probably nicer to me than usual.<p>

There weren't many children in the village since most of the population was from an older generation. Those few that were there looked up to me and we were always excited when I came through. One in particular, a young girl of 5 named Cynthia, came running up to me 'Sowa! Sowa! Were you going?'

'I'm headed to the library.'

'The libary? What for? They only have books and no games…' she scrunched her face saying this.

'I'm not sure why, Cynthia. I just feel called there…'

'Called? You're weird Sowa but I tink you're nice. Don't be late!' she laughed as she scampered away.

_Late for what?_ I thought to myself. I put this in the back of my mind and headed for my destination.

* * *

><p>The library was an old building, probably one of the oldest in the city. During my past visits there, it was mostly quiet more for the lack of patrons. The staff were always polite to me probably because I wasn't one of the 'problem children' they sometimes mentioned. They were always willing to help me find what I needed and, on multiple occasions, asked why I didn't get a library card. I declined each time, mostly for the fact that I didn't think it was necessary since I wasn't able to come often and wasn't sure when I'd be able to return any borrowed items.<p>

I walked to the front desk. The head librarian, Kara, could usually be found there checking in books and other tasks necessary to keep the place running. 'It's been a long time, Kara.'

Not bothering to look up from her work, she in a slightly irritated tone, 'I believe you mean Ms. Kara or Head Librarian.'

Deciding to mess with her a bit more, I said, 'Kara – I thought we were friends. Why do you have to be mean like that?' A while ago, she said that she trusted me enough that she allowed me to call her by her first name, a privilege reserved for very few.

'For the last time, the name is…'she looked up and turned a bit red with embarrassment. 'Oh, Sora... It's been a long time. How are you doing?'

I waved my finger at her, 'It looks like someone wasn't using their inside voice, hmm?'

'Oh stop it…you're embarrassing me Sora' she was still slightly red. 'What can I help you with? Are you looking for anything in particular?'

'Not today Kara, just browsing. I'll let you know if I need help.'

'All right Sora, you know where I am if you need anything.'

I nodded and walked to my destination, whatever that was. The library wasn't small but it wasn't large either. It had two floors with the bottom reserved for the children's section and set activities like music, art and crafts, and story time. The upper floors were the main library with a small conference room that was used for seminars and meetings.

Traversing the many areas of the library, I walked by several of my favorite titles some of which included: _Believe It: The Story of the Number One Hyperactive Knuckleheaded Ninja, It's Over 9000! _and _I Want to Be King of the Pirates._ Unfortunately, this section wasn't my destination and I continued to be guided by an unknown force.

I eventually found myself in a very dusty corner of the history section. The one shelf here was in a desperate need of dusting, something I found odd since Kara and her staff took very good care of the building. The books dealt with the subject of Kingdom Hearts. I didn't expect to be led here nor did I expect a section like this to exist. Mr. Fang had briefly talked to me about Kingdom Hearts. I didn't take much stock in it though, thinking it was more legend than actual fact. Some of the books did mention the keyholes at the heart of each world, the heartless and other things, but I quickly became bored and looked for something else. _Why was I led here?_ I thought to myself. There was nothing here that seemed interesting or worth noting.

A bit frustrated that I made the journey out here for nothing, I threw a book I just picked up back on the shelf and began walking away. I stopped however, when I heard a faint click and noise that sounded like something opening. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I checked the side of the shelf closest to the corner wall. A small niche was open in the side of the shelf and a small leather bound journal was inside of it. This peaked my interest and I took the book from the opening.

There were not tags on the book and it looked like no one even knew it was there. The leather was a dark brown color with a gold and silver trim around the edges. The book had an unusual lock that looked similar to a crown. Of course, not having the key, I tried to pull at the lock strap to no avail. Annoyed but determined, I walked up to the front desk and asked Kara about the book.

'Where did you find this book, Sora? I've never seen it before.' I explained the weird compartment in the book shelf and she had a confused look on her face. 'It's funny you mention that, Sora' she said. 'I've never been to that section of the library, which would explain the dust. I'm pretty sure that section was here when the library was renovated 3 years ago. Hmmm.' She scratched her head and then rested it on the palm of her hand. Suddenly, as if a light went off in her mind, her eyes sparkled and she smiled at me.

'Sora, I just had an idea. Since you don't want a library card and you're always a good patron, I'm going to let you keep that book. It has no record tag on it, and I'm sure I wouldn't find it anywhere in my system. The only thing I ask is that you tell me what's in the book when you finally open it. I don't have any key that would fit that lock, but I'm sure you'll figure out a way to open it.'

I was in a bit of shock after she said this. She was still beaming at me and the only thing I could do was thank her. 'Now go quickly. It'll be dark soon and I know you'll want to delve into that book when you get home.' I ran out of the library as fast as I could, eager to see what this leather tome held.

* * *

><p>'Is everything ready for his return?' a voice said. The person walked around making some final adjustments. Even though it was dark, they could still make out their cohorts who nodded to their previous question. 'Good…take your places everyone. We don't have much time until he gets back.' The moonlight shining through the window cast an almost eerie gleam on the faint smile coming across the person's face…<p>

DUH, DUH, DUH! (like scary movies)

* * *

><p>I was so excited that Kara had just given me this book. She was always kind, but I never expected this. In all honestly, I think I would have finally gotten a library card if only to find what was inside the journal now clutched closely to my side. The sun was beginning to set by the time I started home; I guess I spent a bit too much time at the library. I wasn't complaining though; what I found there was invaluable.<p>

I entered the village and everything was quiet. The sun had just set and the stars were beginning to shine through. Despite the fact it was the middle of the week, it seemed a bit early for everyone to call it a night. Continuing my walk, I finally did notice a light or two emanating from some of the houses which put my worries to rest. There was no light coming from the old man's house which was weird since he usually waits for me whenever I was out late. The sound of breaking glass put me on alert and I ran towards the door. The sound of the door smashing open, coupled with a grunt and body falling to the floor were things heard as I made my entrance. 'Oh my gosh, Mr. Fang! Are you OK?' I suddenly felt bad as I realized the last two sounds came from my father and mentor.

'I guess that could have gone better' he said rubbing his nose. 'The only time I almost broke my nose was when I was caught…well I guess we can save that story for another time.' I cocked my eyebrow at this, but decided not to say anything…for now; this was definitely something I would have to bring up earlier. The old man got up on his own accord and dusted himself off. 'At least I know you'll protect the house from an intruder' he gave me a hard pat on the shoulder, a small bit of revenge from him. I chuckled a bit and rubbed my head (and shoulder).

There was another clatter somewhere nearby and I went on alert again. Oddly enough, the old man wasn't nervous or anxious. 'Well, I guess it's time to start things off.'

This was getting weird and I cocked my eyes at him. 'Hey…what's going on old man?'

'It's time to give you a lesson Sora. In the time that you've spent here, I've noticed many things happening with you. Some of these things have been shocking and mysterious; others have been disappointing and unnerving.' My heart dropped as he calmly continued what I could only describe as a mini-tirade. He didn't seem angry but he was clearly upset and I was completely confused. What had I done to merit this? I was about to question when he held his hand up and escorted me into the living room. It was completely dark, but despite all of this he somehow managed to shove me into the room without tripping or falling over anything.

'Do you have anything to say for yourself?' he finally bellowed.

I was starting to get scared and didn't realize that the journal I had clutched tightly to my side had been left near the door. I shook my head for 'no' as I readied myself for his 'final judgment.'

'Well then, there's only one thing I have to say to you.' I was temporarily blinded by the sudden appearance of lights and greeted by what sounded like a chorus of voices:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SORA!

* * *

><p>What just happened? The old man was just berating me for who knows what, I get shoved into the living room and now I'm greeted by what seems like most of the villagers. Two questions immediately popped into my head: how was Mr. Fang able to get everyone in his house and what was going on? The second was probably more pressing than the first, but at this point, any answer would have satisfied me.<p>

'What's going on? How did everyone get here? Also, I'm pretty sure it's not my birthday.' I may have forgotten my past, but I'm pretty sure I remembered when my birthday was.

'What's wong Sowa?' I immediately recognized the voice of young Cynthia who came running from around a corner. 'Don't you like your supwise?'

I smiled and crouched so I was at eye level with her. 'You did a good job and I like it very much Cynthia. I'm definitely surprised but also a bit confused.'

'I think I should clarify things.' Mr. Fang had finally spoken up. 'First off, I want to apologize for the rough treatment you received when you got in. I had accidentally knocked a glass off the counter when I went to the door to see if you were on your way home; it was starting to get late. The funny thing…I was stressing everyone to keep quiet and I'm the one who broke the silence and almost the surprise.' A roar of laughter sounded through the house. 'The rough treatment was the only thing I could think of to keep everything a secret.'

'I guess that makes sense and it probably makes up for me almost taking you (and your nose) out.' Another roar of laughter sounded through the house. 'What's with the birthday thing? I've never told anyone anything about that.'

'Ahh. A good question' the old man continued. 'It's true that you've never told me your birthday, but I wanted to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of your 'homecoming' if you want to put it that way.'

Things had begun to click in my head; he usually didn't let me leave after fishing before everything was finished, but he did say he had 'stuff' to do. Now I know what 'stuff' he was planning. Then something else clicked and I looked towards Cynthia who had a sudden guilty look on her face. I grabbed her and began tickling her. 'So you knew too?' I asked her.

Through the midst of giggling and laughter she managed to answer my question and I put her down. She ran back to her mom who hugged her and smiled at me. 'I hope you can forgive her, Sora.' I nodded towards her and looked around the room. There were people everywhere and I'm sure some were outside; I reminded myself to greet them when I had a chance.

'Thank you everyone for this wonderful surprise. I appreciate your kindness and generosity. I'm surprised it has almost been an entire year since I met the old man. Things were rough at first and I thought I would have to find somewhere else to live (not sure how that was going to happen). However, as most of you can see, I'm glad I never made that decision. Mr. Fang is a wonderful person and I couldn't have asked for a better friend, mentor and father (I still had not forgotten about Mr. Sho). This party should be just as much for him as it is for me. And of course, I can't forget about all of you. You're all a great group of people who have been supportive of not only me, but Mr. Fang as well.' I bowed to all of them as a sign of respect.

'And now, I think there's only one thing left to say: LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!'

* * *

><p>Who would have guessed that Mr. Fang knew how to throw a party? It was a huge potluck and everyone brought a little bit of everything. Multiple platters of fresh fruits and vegetable lined a couple of tables. Various meats, cheeses and drinks were scattered everywhere too and I wondered if they had some more food on the porch. I walked towards that direction greeting people and thanking them as I passed by. All were in great spirits and we were all like one happy family. Somehow, the old man had gotten speakers so that those outside could hear any speeches made from inside. They were all happy to see me and sure enough there was more food.<p>

The moon was full and the stars were shining at their brightest. It was a perfect night and I reminded myself I would have to do something equally as special for the old man in return. What it would be, I wasn't sure but it would be awesome! It was probably later in the evening at this point and we rocked the house like it was going out of style (I guessed that sounded a bit old school huh?). We danced and ate, talked and then ate some more. There were games for the younger kids and even prizes for the winners; although I'm pretty sure everyone had gotten one just to be fair.

I was having a good time when everyone was told to gather inside for one final surprise. Several of the villagers led me into the house, which was a sea of bodies. I was led to a small open area and sat on a chair. On order, I shut my eyes and the lights were dimmed. A couple of seconds later and I could feel the warm sensation of light dancing across my face. I opened my eyes and in front of me was a large cake decorated with shapes and colors of every variation and size. I took several minutes to behold the confectionary delight in front of me. Someone behind me told me to make a wish and so I did. I was about to blow the candle out when the door was kicked opened.

'Out of the way, we're looking for Sora!'

'I'm right here' I answered placing the cake on the chair.

Two men made their way towards the clearing where I was. 'Sora you are under arrest.'

Now this was a definite shock and I'm sure everyone in the place shared my feelings. 'What for and who could I have possibly wronged?'

'Don't play coy with us. We have descriptions and directions from her royal majesty of Radiant Garden.' There was some murmuring among the guests in the room. Mr. Fang had told me that was the world where all the incidents involving Kingdom Hearts and the Keyblade originated. 'Not only have you attacked innocent civilians, but you have also attacked the queen herself! You're coming with us! If anyone tries to stop us, they'll be arrested for treason as well.'

Attacking the queen? Treason? What's going on? It was going to be a long night…

* * *

><p>This chapter should have been out long ago which is why I made it longer than the other ones. Consider it a present from me to you.<p>

The adventure begins in the next chapter with Sora's impending arrest. How will he get out of this predicament? Will anyone help him? And don't think I forgot about Kairi. Also, did any of you get any of the references made in this story? If you have any ideas what they might be send me a message and I'll let you know…

Please rate and review. I appreciate all of your feedback.

-RRoP


	12. Complications

Hello all! Long time no see. I have a couple of important notes at the end of the chapter. Read and review, please –it keeps me motivated!

**DISCLAIMER:** As usual, I do not own any of the characters in Kingdom Hearts and/or Final Fantasy except for my OCs.

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Complications<p>

It was a scene out of a dream. A field filled with dazzling whites, deep violets and bright yellows covered the area. The grass was a luscious green, the sky a soft blue and the wind, a light breeze that gently caressed the face. The field seemed to stretch forever and a single large tree grew in the center. A figure sat with her back against the tree when another breeze blew by awaking her. Yawning, she stretched, arose and walked out from under the shade of the tree. She was barefoot and the grass under her feet was a welcome and refreshing feeling. This place was bliss and paradise; there were no worries and cares to have. There wasn't a kingdom to rule her which meant a lack of servants to constantly hound her every move. This also meant that she didn't have to attend any meetings, outings, banquets, diplomatic visits and all those other things a monarch was supposed to do. In all honesty, she found most of them dull and boring.

On several occasions she felt constricted as if her life wasn't her own. Ever since the incident with Xemnas she hasn't had a real vacation nor any break of any kind. There were so many things she wanted to do: climb the summit of Pride Rock, sail to World's End and traverse the inner passages of the Cave of Wonders. These were just a couple of things she wanted to do. However, none of this was possible as the kingdom; or rather the people came first. She loved her people and they loved her, but her life was a single note on the music sheet of life. In a place like this, her cares melted away; the kingdom could run without her – the heartless could always be driven back to whatever rock they crawled from.

Her mind continued to wander as she walked. She crested a hill and the sight before her almost stole her breath away. The area opened before her with more flowers, but this wasn't what caught her; a single figure stood at the bottom gazing away from her. She knew who it was; she had been waiting for him for so many years. He was kind, gentle and caring – someone who would never hesitate to help those in need. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but her mind began flashing warnings and red lights. Images of the same figure on a balcony attacking her appeared in her mind. She shivered and took a step back recounting that nightmare. _But what if it wasn't really him? Maybe it was an imposter._ She tried to reassure herself but her mind was a battleground of conflicting opinions and emotions. There was no mistaking that the person who attacked her was standing at the bottom of the hill. But why would he have attacked her? She loved him; did he not also share the same feelings for her? This was all very confusing for her, but she wanted to see. She wanted to know if it was all true. Had she been waiting all these years for someone who never really loved her and now thought of her as an enemy? _I mean she would have no reason to attack me if we were friends right?_ These thoughts went back and forth in her head until her heart won out – everyone deserved a second chance right? She would take another chance on him – hopefully her heart wasn't wrong.

And with that decision, she ran down the hill towards him who she loved. The closer she drew to him, the more confident she became of her decision. _This is definitely not the same person who attacked me – there's something different about him…_She collided with him and embraced him from behind; surprisingly he didn't flinch or fall forward. The wind blew behind her and it almost seemed as though her hair would join in her embrace as it almost wrapped around him. She cried into his back as waves upon waves of emotions came forth. Above all she felt joy – joy at the fact that she had finally found him and would never leave him.

She stayed there for several minutes until she realized that she received no response from him, verbal or physical. One would have thought something would have been done if you got hugged from behind. Walking around to his front, she realized why. He stared into the horizon beyond but there was no emotion from his face. She waved her hand in front of him, pinched his nose and even poked him in his side but still no response. It was like staring at a wax figure – very physical with no emotion. _Is this just a dream?_ She pinched herself and it hurt –_not a dream. So why isn't he responding?_ He wasn't an illusion unlike those many times when she thought she found him. He was real and standing right in front of her. _What was going on? _She turned to walk away and began crying to herself. _Why am I being tortured so? What have I done to deserve this?_

Suddenly, she felt contact with her skin. A strong grip held her arm and she turned to face him –she wished she hadn't. His gaze was fierce and penetrating, but there was also a darkness about it that made her nervous. Those warnings from earlier came back to her and she was beginning to wish she had listened to them. _What is this malice I feel from him?_ She tried to wiggle her arm but it was of no use – his grip was like a steel trap. To make things worse, it seemed that the more she struggled the tighter the grip became. The sky grew dark; lightning flashed above and the thunder began its chaotic pounding. She was frightened and she wanted to get out. _Stop it! You're hurting me! This isn't you! It can't be you!_ She tried to scream but nothing came out. She looked up at him and his face was closer – his gaze holding her in place. Then without warning, all went silent and everything went white. He let out a massive roar and the violence in the area reached its climax. The last thing that could be heard were her screams as everything went dark…

* * *

><p>I still couldn't believe what I just heard. Arrest and treason? How is this even possible? I've never left Destiny Islands since I landed here. Even if I wanted to leave, where would I go? Mr. Fang had told me about the other worlds, but I didn't know where they were. I definitely couldn't fly a ship (where would I have even gotten one?) and I didn't have any munny to take a transport ship. These guards had some nerve interrupting our party to make false accusations against me.<p>

And then there was her royal majesty…Who was she and how did she even know me. I haven't heard of her either except for the few tidbits of info Mr. Fang would relate to me. _What kind of person was she? How long had she been ruling for?_ If she had any experience, I don't think she would go around accusing people of crimes they didn't commit. I did have a question for the guards however, "Excuse me gentlemen. How old is the queen and what does she look like?"

The two were a bit confused at the inquiry. "Not that it's any important to you, but Queen Kairi is 17 and she has blue eyes and red hair. Her 18th birthday is in a couple of weeks which makes your crimes all the more tragic."

I ignored the last comment from them and thought about this for a bit. So she was about my age, had the same color eyes with different color hair. Not all the information I was looking for but it was a start. _I'm being accused by a queen who is about my age?_ She definitely didn't have enough experience. How did she even attain the throne? Still though…_17, and a brunette with blue eyes._ She sounded cute; _I wonder if she was…_whoa, whoa, whoa. I had to stop myself from losing track of the situation. What was I thinking anyway? There was no way I could be friends with, never mind like or love someone who would accuse me of such heinous crimes. _But what if someone was acting under the guise of the queen? Or maybe this was part of some evil plot or maybe…_I had to calm myself. I took a deep breath and remembered Mr. Fang told me I had to assess any situation in a calm and centered manner. I would have to deal with this predicament before me and stop daydreaming about some young queen on far away world…_Maybe her hair flowed in the wind when she walked_ – stop mind. No daydreaming…

After scolding myself, I realized that the old man was addressing the guards. "I'm sorry good sirs, but I believe you have the wrong person. Other than the occasional trips to the city, Sora has always been with me. Unless he's figured out some way of instantly transporting himself to other worlds, there's no way he would have been able to make it back and forth during the time he was gone."

The old man was always there for me. There were other shouts of agreement throughout the house from the other guests. Even little Cynthia came forward and piped up, "Yea! Sowa is nice! You guys have the wong pewson." I smiled and chuckled to myself as she ran back to her mother who nodded to me, affirming her daughter's opinions.

The guards looked at each other, at me, then back at each other as they discussed some things amongst themselves. "Despite the overwhelming support you have from your friends and guardian, there's just too much evidence stacked up against you to let this slide." A murmur ran through the crowd. I wasn't a bad person and the people in the village knew this as well.

Before anything could get more heated, Mr. Fang spoke up, "Could you tell us what evidence has been levied against the boy?"

The guards again talked amongst themselves while occasionally glancing in my direction. "Normally we would have waited until we had the accused in Radiant Garden, but we'll do this one special favor for you considering the amount of support you have." We all thanked the guards for this as everyone quieted to hear what they had to say.

"For the first piece of evidence, we have the attack on Roxas; personal friend to Her Majesty and Nobody to Sora, the Keyblade's Chosen One." I had heard from Mr. Fang about the various monsters that inhabited other worlds; how people could become Heartless if their hearts were full of darkness and malice. Nobodies were the left over pieces once a person became a Heartless. I don't remember many of the details from the old man, but I remembered that both creatures were after the so-called 'Kingdom Hearts' which I still wasn't convinced actually existed. Also, I know for a fact that I had never been a Heartless so there was no way this Roxas guy could be my Nobody. Besides, when one became a Heartless, there was no way for them to come back, right?

"According to the victim, the accused attacked him while he was patrolling Destiny Islands; ironically while looking for him. Since you may not know, we'll explain." The two then gave a quick explanation of the incident 3 years ago when the Nobody Xemnas was defeated by the Chosen One and his friend Riku. Apparently, Riku came back but the Chosen One (I refused to believe it was me –I was in Esrévart), never returned. The queen and all her friends have been searching for him ever since. Roxas' trip was supposed to be one of the last searches.

The guards continued the recounting of the attack, "Roxas was patrolling the beach since he knew it was a favorite place of Sora's. Without warning, a figure in a black robe attacked Roxas. Now Roxas is a skilled fighter and swordsmen, but the person attacking him knew his every move and how to counter them. Apparently, the two were evenly matched and the fight would have gone on longer had Roxas not been thrown off balance and delivered a potentially deadly slash across the chest. Before passing out, he was able to get a look at the face underneath the hood. There was no mistaking it was Sora – blue eyes and brown spiky hair. If we were to give this description to anyone in our kingdom, they would immediately know it as Sora – there's no one else who looks like him, with the exception of Roxas of course."

There were murmurs around the room as everyone pondered this information. _So apparently I am a master swordsman and had been missing for 3 years. I had bested this guy and almost killed him._ I shook my head as I processed this. The only thing I found interesting in the story was the fact that I could spell my name from 'Roxas' if the 'X' was removed, but I thought that to be a coincidence. It did nag me for a bit, but I brushed it off. Sure the description matched, but that was the only thing that matched.

"OK. Let's assume this was true for a minute" I started, "If this guy is as good as you say, there's no way I would have been able to match him, let alone best him. There was definitely no way I would have been able to deal a blow that would almost kill him. What weapon was used against him?"

"That's the second piece of evidence. Roxas and Riku both have their keyblades, but theirs aren't the original. Sora had the original and it was with this one that Roxas was attacked with. The markings left on Roxas' chest were an exact match to the Kingdom Keyblade."

"I've never wielded any sword or blade other than the practice ones Mr. Fang had during my lessons. Can you show us the weapon or what it looks like?" I wanted to know what the weapon they thought I wielded looked like.

"We'll be happy to show you, but we'll need you to come outside." I nodded in agreement and led the way as we left and followed the guards outside.

* * *

><p>The sky was clear and the stars shown overhead as we made our way outside. The water was clear as it gentle caressed the beach with each wave. I noticed a small ship several yards away from our position; it was probably how the two guards arrived on the island. They waited for anyone else to filter from the house before they continued their explanation. One of the guards pulled a remote-like device from their pocket, pushed a button and threw it on the ground. Immediately an image appeared in the air; I stared in shock as I saw it. The image before me was of the same sword I had seen in some of my dreams.<p>

One of the guards noticed my expression, "I'm glad you recognize this weapon. It _is _yours after all Sora." I shook my head at his comment – that was a dream! There was no way that the weapon was real.

"I've seen that sword in a couple of my dreams but have never wielded anything like it." Mr. Fang looked at me with a questioning expression almost as if he didn't believe me. "It's true Mr. Fang. The only swords I've used were the ones in practice. I've never seen this before, never!" I turned around and some of the other villagers were giving me shocked looks. I could almost read their thoughts: _Of course, he 'dreamed' about the weapon. Maybe he really did do it? I can't believe he's tricked us all this time._

No one seemed to believe me. I turned to the old man and his look turned to one of sympathy. He tried to lay a reassuring hand on me but I flinched away. What was going on? Everything they said was wrong. A painful headache suddenly erupted in my head. I crouched on my knees as I grabbed my head in my hands.

"The truth hurts; doesn't it Sora?" one of the guards said to me. I looked at him and he seemed to have a triumphant smirk on his face. The headache seemed to get more painful and more intense. Flashbacks and images of three friends on a beach, mouse with a crown and a huge object shaped like a heart kept appearing in my mind. What was going on?

"Oh by the way Sora" the other guard said. "There's someone here who wanted to see you. He says you've met some time ago but that you were a bit uncooperative during your last encounter." I didn't understand what he was talking about until the door to the ship opened and a man stepped out. The silver hair was the first thing that caught my attention and that's all I needed to see.

"Hello again, Sora. It's me your best friend – Riku."

* * *

><p>So this is the end of the first part of my story. What will happen next you ask? Well you'll just have to see. Before the next part comes out, I want to review all the previous chapters and make some corrections. It seems that the story is getting away from me and I want to focus it some more. Looking at the quality of the stories I've read on this site has given me an insight as to the quality I need to beef up my story to.<p>

Thanks to all who read this chapter and commented/reviewed. I know how the rest of the story is going to go down (I just need to get off my butt and write it, lol). Also, I'm hoping to begin writing my next story – I have a couple of ideas but I need to focus it. It's going to be centered around Left 4 Dead, so for all you L4D fans – I hope you like it.

Take care and I'll see you guys for the next part of Coming Home.

-RoRP


	13. The Vault

Welcome back everyone! It's been such a long time since I've updated this story. Check below for some information.

This was originally going to be a second story, but I thought it better to keep the original going…

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything KH or FFX; only my OCs.

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: The Vault<p>

_It's me your best friend – Riku…  
>A brunette was crying in some dark place…<br>Best friends don't attack each other…  
>The shadows were closing in on her…<br>Well this one does!  
>STOP! Please don't hurt me!<em>

I awoke with a startle from the same nightmare I've had for the last several days since my imprisonment. I could only tell the passage of time because of the vent that let in a small amount of light from outside. It wasn't much, but it did remind me of better times and the extremely slim chance that I might find a way from this predicament.

Speaking of which, how did I end up here? It began with a random note and everything seemed to spiral out of control after that. I sat there with nothing but my thoughts as I tried to process what had happened to get me to this point. A small yet gentle breeze came in through the vent and I relished in its soothing touch. The air down in the dungeon/prison (whatever you want to call it) was stale and stuffy. I could hear rats in some far away corner and everywhere dust blanketed everything and anything to which it could cling. I think I was either the first person here or in awhile given the current condition of my surroundings.

And back to the question on hand…_what had I done to land myself here?_

That was the only thing on my mind since I was taken and put here. It had taken me several days of confusion, anger and the other sea of emotions within me to subside. Don't get me wrong, they were still there but I was now able to think with a somewhat clear mind.

If I had to sum everything up, there was a note and then Mr. Sho was dead. I then got into a fight with a guy with silver hair and brought to some strange new world where I met Mr. Fang and everyone in our small town. I immediately thought of Cynthia and all the other children who looked up to me. Fang taught me fishing and basic swordsmanship among other things. I went to the library and found a weird journal. The night eventually culminated with a surprise party followed by some people who wanted to arrest me (and did) for a crime that I didn't commit.

Yea…everything was great.

* * *

><p>It would have been a lie if they said everything was fine. The whole situation was a conundrum and everyone would have liked it better if everything went away. However, things in life were usually never that easy.<p>

Riku paced back and forth in the room, while Yuffie leaned against the wall deep in thought. Roxas was resting on a couch in the room with Namine. She had just dozed off and her head was leaning on his shoulder as he gently stroked her hair. It seemed that his near-death experience brought the two to that final step of having an open relationship. Everyone knew about the feelings the two had for each other and were just waiting for them to finally express themselves.

Cloud, Leon, Aerith and a couple of others were sitting at the table; everyone was awaiting two more important people. The first of those would be King Mickey; the recent events were cause enough for him to leave his world and meet with the group in the castle of Hollow Bastion. Minnie said she would watch over the kingdom while he was gone and two of his most trusted advisors, Donald and Goofy, would be there if any trouble arose.

The second person they all waited for was the Queen herself. Kairi was hit hardest by everything that happened. He had promised he would come back for her and would never leave her, but how long was she supposed to wait? Days turned into weeks and into months until three long years had passed. She had all but forgotten him until he suddenly appeared to her one day.

That one day, however was not a joyous one. Out of nowhere he attacked her and since then she's become more secluded and withdrawn than ever. It pained to see his best friend like this, but Riku knew something was off about this whole situation. Something wasn't adding up; it just didn't make sense to him. What had happened to Sora?

He shook these thoughts from his head as the arrival of King Mickey gathered everyone's attention. 'I would try and say something to cheer everyone up, but the situation at hand is very worrying' the King said. 'It looks like we're still one person shy…is Kairi coming?'

Aerith was the first to speak, 'She hasn't come down from her room and we have no idea if she's coming to join us. Everything has been different since the attack and I'm not sure if she'll ever be the same again.'

'I see. Riku what do you think we should do?'

Riku looked up to see everyone staring at him. Since Sora's absence, everyone usually deferred to him on most matters unless it was something the Queen needed to handle. 'I feel hesistant to start this meeting without her, but it might be for the best. The topics we're about to discuss might do more harm than good if she was present. I say we begin. We can relay the details to her later in a formal meeting if necessary.'

The room everyone had gathered in was very spacious, with a burgundy carpet lining the floor and a large oval table in the center. Bookcases filled with information on all the worlds framed several of the walls. The windows were ordained with beautiful stain glass windows, each depicting several scenes of the Hollow Bastion's history. At the pinnacle of the ceiling, a stained window depicted a large heart with symbols of the seven princesses surrounding it.

Most people called it the Vault not for the ceiling, but because of the many important meetings and gatherings held there. Secret information had exchanged multiple hands on various occasions. Such information could not get out and the contents of this meeting were very important.

The mood was solemn and quiet. They were all seated at the table and ready to start when a knock followed by the door opening turned the heads in the direction of the noise.

'I hope you all weren't about to start without me' the person said. They walked over and sat at one of the few remaining seats. 'Why are you all staring at me?' the person said once situated.

'We just didn't think you were coming Kairi. With everything that happened we tho…'

'Don't worry about me, Riku. I'll be fine. Besides, we have much to discuss about Sora now, don't we? Let's get started.'

* * *

><p><em>In the dungeon…<em>

I was still in my cell (did you really expect I had found a way to escape yet) when I heard movement near the stairwell.

'You know; you really shouldn't be talking to yourself.'

'Who's there?'

The direction the voice came from was so dark that all I could make out was a black form. I thought I saw boots, but they were black too; the only thing I could tell, was that as the figure stepped forward, they were female. Other than that, the person stood far enough away that it was difficult to make out any other features.

'Seems like things are worse than I thought; it's been a long time, hasn't it Sora?'

I was getting pretty annoyed at this point. _How was it that everyone knew my name? If I'm so well known why I haven't heard of this place or know anyone?_ 'Who are you?' I asked.

'Who am I is not important right now. What _is _important is trying to find you a way out of this mess. How did this happen?' That last question sounded it was more for herself, but I still heard it.

'Look, I don't know who you are, but everyone I've talked to since I came here has done nothing but get me in trouble.' This obviously didn't include Mr. Fang and all the other people I met on Destiny Islands however this person didn't need to know any more information about that. I wasn't about to recount my whole story to this stranger. I didn't know who they were and I really wasn't in the trusting mood right then.

'A bit touchy I see; completely understandable given your current predicament. Still, I don't know how anybody is buying this whole bit of you attacking the princess and Roxas – that makes no sense. Also, I'm sorry about what happened to Mr. Sho – he didn't deserve that.'

_Wait; what did she just say? How did she know about Sho?_ 'How do you know about my past? I haven't told anyone about him or my time in…'

'Esrévart?' she replied.

Now I was in complete shock; a complete stranger with that information? I repeated my previous question now more curious than ever, 'Who _are_ you?'

'Like I said Sora, that's not important right now' she replied. 'I've been watching you sometime since you were lost to the group. It's been a long and difficult journey for you, but until Riku brought you into this realm, I had no way of helping other than just watching from the side. I just didn't think that things would have progressed this far. It seems like your doppelganger has been causing quite a bit of trouble and everything has been pointed to you.'

The name of the silver-haired boy set my teeth on edge, but I ignored it for the moment as she continued with the information.

'My time is short and I can't stay long – I've already exceeded my limit and I'm worried that he might have sensed me already. Stay safe and I'll see if I can find a way for you to escape. I'll need to get you somewhere safe before giving you anymore information. I _would_ say trust me, but I know it's difficult for you to do that now.'

She walked closer to the cell and put her hand through one of the bars. She opened her hand to reveal a shell of some sort. I stared at it as it was very pretty with many vibrant colors. 'What is it?' I asked taking the item from her outstretched hand.

'It's called a Thalassa shell and it is my most prized possession. Remember me and this gift. I will return for you when the time is ready.' She began to crystallize and disappear in front of my eyes.

'Wait! I still don't know your name!'

'Just call me XIV' and with that she was gone.

* * *

><p>I am very sorry to everyone for not getting to this story earlier. Other than work and some other things getting in the way, I really have no excuse for it. I can't believe it's been so long since I updated…<p>

Right now, I'm not going to promise any type of update schedule since I can't seem to stick to one. It seems like I've found inspiration to finally continue this after reading so many other stories. Thanks to all for their unknowing push…Also, with the onset of Kingdom Hearts 3 (yay! Finally!) I think I'm going to try and set a goal to have this story done before that comes out.

To anyone reviewing this I thank you very much for your support. You are all so great!

-RoRP


End file.
